Stevie Wonder - Live At The United Center (October 16th)

It has become a very popular trend of late for an artist to go out on the road and perform an entire piece of their collected work.   

One of the first we ever saw do this was Brian Wilson, who took us through the landmark "Pet Sounds" album with his outstanding new band.  (A few years later he did the same thing with the resurrected "Smile" LP, which never actually saw the time of day at the time of its originally scheduled release.  In fact, the circumstances surrounding this entire fiasco became the beginning of the "Brian In Bed" period of his life.)   

Several other artists have followed suit ... but Stevie Wonder has taken on an especially challenging project in that "Songs In The Key Of Life" was originally released as a 2-LP Set (plus bonus EP featuring four additional cuts) back in 1976, nearly forty years ago.   

Wonder has pulled out all the stops in his efforts to recreate the album in all its original glory ... at times there were as many as THIRTY musicians, background singers and dancers and musical directors up on stage with him ... including a killer, dynamite brass section as well as a mini orchestra of strings.  Early on, Stevie told us that he would not be extending this tour again as the costs to bring this to the stage the magnitude of such an undertaking in all its full-blown glory (and then travel around North America to promote it) was costing in excess of five million dollars!   

As such, we felt especially privileged to see this incredible production.  (We missed it the first time it hit town ... but this time around Frannie bought me tickets for my birthday ... and we both agreed that it ranked right up there with the very best concerts we have ever seen.)  In fact, I will go on record right here and now and say unequivocally that I can't imagine that Stevie Wonder could have performed this set of music ANY better forty years ago when it was brand new than he did Friday Night at The United Center (nor would have had the resources then to do so.)  Start to finish, it was an amazing, incredible night of music ... with Stevie in EXCELLENT voice throughout.   

The album is SO well-known at this point that the entire audience was able to follow (and sing) along every step of the way.  "Songs In The Key Of Life" debuted at #1 on The Billboard Top 200 Album Chart (it would hold the top spot for a total of fourteen weeks!) and was the second best selling album of 1977, falling just behind Fleetwood Mac's "Rumors" LP.  (To give you an idea just how strong and competitive music really was in 1977, the album that eventually knocked it out of the #1 spot was The Eagles' "Hotel California" LP!!!)   

"Songs In The Key Of Life" was nominated for seven Grammys and eventually won both Album Of The Year and Male Pop Vocal of the Year.  "I Wish" also won Best Male R&B Vocal. (Stevie Wonder had dominated the Grammy Awards in years past thanks to releases like "Fulfillingness' First Finale" and "Innervisions".  When he didn't release a new album in 1976, Paul Simon, who won for Album Of The Year for "Still Crazy After All These Years", thanked Stevie Wonder as part of his acceptance speech "for not releasing an album this year.")   

Ironically, the release of the album came after a rather lengthy negotiation between Stevie and Motown Records.  Wonder had threatened to leave the music industry altogether (and, sensing this as simply a negotiation ploy, several other labels came courting.)  Motown Head Berry Gordy just didn't feel (despite an INCREDIBLE track record of three straight Top Five Albums) that Stevie could successfully pull off a two-record set.  After months of negotiating, Wonder signed a seven year deal with the label ... at the time the most lucrative deal in history ... seven albums over a seven year period with a guarantee of $37 Million and COMPLETE artistic control over all of its the content ... an unprecedented contract ... and then, after numerous delays along the way, he finally released his masterpiece in late September of 1976.  (When all was said and done, even Berry Gordy had to admit that Motown Records had made a HELL of a deal in resigning their star performer back to the label.)  The album premiered at #1 on The Billboard Album Charts, only the third record in history to do so. (It was also the first two-record set ... and the first album by an American Artist ... and the first album by a Black Artist)  To date it has sold approximately 28 million copies.  (Stevie joked in concert that "you bought the album ... you bought the CD ... you bought the 8-track ...") and we sure did.  I've personally owned this collection on vinyl, cassette and CD and have never grown tired of it!  

If it took 30+ musicians to bring this magic to life on stage, it's a true testament to the reportedly 130 musicians who recorded it in the studio with Stevie Wonder nearly forty years ago!  (Another point strongly stressed by Stevie on stage Friday Night was the importance of preserving music in schools ... pointing out that EVERY note played that evening would be played by REAL musicians on REAL instruments.  While Wonder can get a bit preachy at time, THIS message came through loud and clear ... and as one of the strongest examples of this or any other generation of pure, raw musical talent, every word he spoke touched us deeply in the heart, especially with having a daughter so intimately involved with the arts.)   

One of the stand-out performances was "Sir Duke" (it reminded me a lot of the impact currently being experienced by the Bruno Mars / Mark Ronson hit "Uptown Funk" today ... music doesn't get any more infectious than this! ... and I guess to a degree "Sir Duke" was the "Uptown Funk" of its day. Recorded nearly forty years ago it still sounds every bit as fresh, exciting and vibrant today.) Also receiving a tremendous reception was "Isn't She Lovely" which, although never officially released as a single, probably has garnered as much airplay as ANY other Stevie Wonder record ever released.   

Start to finish, it's an incredible album ... in 2005 Rolling Stone Magazine ranked it as the 57th Greatest Album in History.  The album (with its four bonus tracks) runs just under two hours when played in its entirety.  After about a twenty minute late start (traffic was HORRENDOUS getting near The United Center), Stevie performed Sides One and Two (along with a couple of the EP bonus tracks) before taking a brief intermission, after which time he completed Sides Three and Four and the other bonus tracks.  In both sets he did some extended special features spotlighting all of his incredible background singers, an unbelievable set on harmonica and saxophone built around the track "Easy Goin' Evening" (which morphed into several other songs, including, at one point, "The Star Spangled Banner") as well as a lengthy tribute to Chicago Blues featuring songs by Jimmy Reed and Curtis Mayfield.  And then, to top things off, after telling the crowd that they had to wrap things up by 11:00 (by which time it was already about twenty minutes PAST that deadline), he went on to perform another 40-minute hits medley that included another dozen Stevie Wonder classics, topped off by a full-length version of "Superstition" to end the night.  (Several people got up and left when Stevie announced he had to wrap things up ... and, as such, missed some GREAT music in the process.) And let me tell you ... this Stevie Wonder Mega-Mix (with Stevie performing as DJ Ching Ching Boom), coming 3 1/2 hours into the set, packed every bit as much energy as anything we experienced all night.  We waited to the very end ... FOUR HOURS from beginning to end ... before heading out to the parking lot and the ensuing traffic jam to follow.   

I am SO glad we made it to this show.  If ever there is a concert that deserves to be videotaped and marketed to the public, THIS is it.  I'd buy it in a heartbeat, just to be able to watch it again and again.   

We found this "Songs In The Key Of Life" jukebox online, which features every track on the LP.  http://www.steviewonder.org.uk/multimedia/audio_player/songs_in_the_key_of_life.html  
It makes for a great refresher course if you haven't heard this in awhile.  
Prepare yourself to be blown away all over again ... trust me!  (kk) 
Kent Kotal 
Forgotten Hits  

I've got to say that The United Center looked absolutely amazing as we were pulling in ... all kinds of Stevie light up marquees ... absolutely beautiful (if not a photographer's best friend!!!)

 

Evolution of a Song:

It first gained life as the album track "Pastime Paradise" on Stevie Wonder's "Songs In The Key Of Life" album.

It was then revamped as "Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio in the film "Dangerous Minds", and went all the way to #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart.

And then, leave it to Weird Al Yankovic to revitalize it again as "Amish Paradise" (complete with Coolio hair dreds!!!)  Gotta be one of his funniest videos ever!

Leon Russell - Live At The Arcada Theatre

We had plans to attend this concert but then when Frannie got me Stevie Wonder tickets for my birthday (on the same date), we opted for the bigger show.  (It was FANTASTIC!!! Watch for our review tomorrow on The Forgotten Hits Website).

Meanwhile our long-time FH Buddy Steve Sarley WAS able to attend the Leon Russell show ... and as a lifetime fan of Russell's we couldn't have picked a better suited guy to handle this review.

Take it away, Steve!  (kk)    

I’ve been a huge Leon Russell fan since 1968 when he released his first Asylum Choir album with Marc Benno. I’ve followed him closely since then and must admit that he is at the very top of my list of favorite musical performers. Being able to see “The Master of Space and Time” perform live at the Arcada Theatre this past Friday night was something I really looked forward to.  I’ve seen Russell play in concert a few times in the past, both as a solo act and also as the bandleader for Joe Cocker on the legendary Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour.  

The last Time I saw Leon was in 1999 at Lisle’s Eyes to the Skies Festival. He played for 90 minutes and didn’t take any break between songs. It was if he played one, long, hour-and-a-half medley. Of course, he didn’t even speak a word during the entire show. The music was great, but the performance was not what you want when you go to a concert. 

After the show, he autographed merchandise that the crowd purchased but he did it in his trailer. His son took the merchandise from the fans and walked it back to Leon who sat in the dark on the bus. He didn’t shake a hand or say a word to anyone. 

I learned that Leon is a total loner who may possibly suffer from some kind of issue with personal contact. The only way to interview Leon is to send him your questions via fax and he will return his answers in the same manner. Weird, huh? 

That said, I just had to see Russell in concert one more time. The legend is 73-years old and had major brain surgery in 2010 and also suffered heart failure the same year. 

Ron Onesti was not in attendance at his Arcada Theatre because he was busy emceeing the big PBS Chicago Legends taping. I hate to admit it, but Onesti’s absence was missed. The guy is so damned likeable, the short time he spends on stage talking to the audience at his shows is almost like being entertained by an extra opening act. 

The real opening act was a man named Riley Etheridge, Jr. He plays the acoustic guitar and has a very pleasing vocal style. He was accompanied by a bass player, a fiddle player and a mandolinist. I’m a sucker for mandolin and fiddle, so Etheridge went over big with me, even though I am not a huge fan of the folk genre that his music mostly fell into. 

His set ran about 35 minutes and all the songs were very good. The New Yorker really charmed the crowd and even got away with making the mistake of declaring himself to be a New York Mets fan. 

During the short intermission, it was hard to miss the fact that Russell’s stage set-up included a big digital grand piano. The last time I saw Leon, he played on a tiny electric keyboard. When he recorded his album with Elton John, “The Union,” Elton made Leon Russell promise to never play the electric piano again. He felt that Leon’s fans deserved to hear his music on a traditional instrument. I guess that Leon keeps his promises. 

After a short break, Russell and his band walked onto the stage. Russell uses a cane and moves incredibly slowly. He is not a tall man, but is towering in his white straw Stetson hat. His frame is quite wide. He wore a charcoal gray suit and a pair of dress loafers with a blue Hawaiian-type shirt. You had to realize that this was going to be a different kind of Russell concert because Leon wasn’t wearing his signature aviator sunglasses. I can’t remember the last time I was able to actually see the man’s eyes. 

He sat down at his piano and did a rousing version of Ray Charles’, “I Got a Woman.” It sounded great but I was totally blown away at the conclusion when Leon turned to the audience and related an anecdote about meeting Elvis Presley at the MGM in Las Vegas. 

He said he had been invited backstage by his fried, James Burton who was Elvis’s guitar player. Upon the introduction, Russell said to the King, “Hello, Elvis. I’m Leon. How the hell did they talk you into making all of those bad movies, anyway?” 

I was stunned to hear Leon talking conversationally and telling such an amazing tale. It was the first of the night and it wasn’t to be the last. He talked about making friends with Bob Dylan at The Concert for Bangladesh, recording with B.B. King, how he chose to change his name to Leon Russell from Russell Bridges and a number of other incredible tales. He said that he knew his first marriage was headed for divorce when his then-wife told him, “You know, if your fans knew you as well as I do, they wouldn’t like you either!” Leon was absolutely charming and his stories were mesmerizing. 

His band consisted of, Jack Wessell, his bass player and background vocalist for the last 33 years, drummer Brandon Holder and Beau Charron on guitars, pedal steel, mandolin and organ. All three sidemen were extremely polished at their crafts. 

Russell played and talked for a little over an hour-and-a-half. The time flew by. Some people consider Russell’s voice to be an acquired taste, but I’ve always loved its uniqueness. At the Arcada his voice was quite strong and actually better than I had heard it in a long time. He mixed his hits with covers of songs that he really likes. He worked some of his classics into versions with new tempos and arrangements that made them sound fresh. 

His set list was:  

“I’ve Got a Woman”  

“Prince of Peace” 

“Out in the Woods” 

“Rolling in My Sweet Baby’s Arms” 

“Stranger in a Strange Land” 

“Let the Good Times Roll” 

“Dixie Lullaby” 

“Back to the Island” 

Bob Dylan’s “A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall” 

Ivory Joe Hunter’s “Kansas City Woman” 

“Wild Horses” 

“Georgia on My Mind” 

The Beatles’ “I’ve Just Seen a Face” 

“Hummingbird” 

“Tight Rope” 

“Delta Lady” 

“The Ballad of Mad Dogs and Englishmen” 

Gospel legend Andrae Crouch’s “He’s Watching Me” 

“A Song for You” 

“Jumping Jack Flash” 

“Papa Was a Rolling Stone” 

“Kansas City”    

Leon stood up after that and waited for the applause to stop. He said, “You know, this is the part where we walk off the stage and then act surprised that you keep clapping. Then we turn around and come back out and play a song to finish the show. Those of you that know me know that I’m not very big on walking. So, let’s just pretend we walked off and walked back on again. He sat down and finished with a rousing rendition of “Roll Over Beethoven.”   

On his way off the stage, Russell waved to the adoring audience and the stoic genius actually beamed a huge smile, something that is a Leon Russell rarity, to be sure. 

I must report that I haven’t been this pleased to see a show in many, many years and I can’t wait for Leon to come back again. Leon Russell’s show was first rate and I recommend it very highly.
-- Steve Sarley

P.S.  I had to laugh at the end of Leon's show.  

He walked off the stage and the lights came up.  

The sound system started playing one of my favorite Stevie Wonder songs.  

I thought of you guys and hoped you had a good time.

Actually we had a GREAT time ... watch for our review tomorrow!!!  (kk)

The Cornerstone Of Chicago Rock - Part 3 (and Concert Review)

Kent, 

For me, "Cornerstones" was a glorious reminder of the free-spirited 60's and my stint as a roadie with the New Colony Six. The rich memory of watching the band record "I Will Always Think About You" at the old Chess Studio is a vibe that will last forever. As I recall, after the Six laid down the vocal track, I sped off to the old Batt's Deli to get the guys cheeseburgers.
There was a natural competition between local bands in those days but also a remarkable degree of respect; we wanted to outsell other groups but we also looked upon Jimy Sohns, the Buckinghams, The Shames and the underrated Flock as members of a very exclusive club.
I will always remember the Colony gigging on Don Webster's "Teen Beat" in Cleveland with The Union Gap and the Outsiders.  Hey, we were young, we experimented, we kept our bills in a sock. Our worries seemed inconsequential.
It's truly a shame that today's 20 year old kids will never experience the originality of sounds that we were blessed to enjoy.

Where is the next Chuck Berry (89 years old on Sunday), Brian Wilson, Jagger, Richards, John, Paul or Daltrey? The train has left the depot ... it just ain't comin' back.
KUDOS to our buddy Ron Onesti for engineering this magnanimous project
Chet Coppock   

Check out this video on YouTube:

Tom Cuddy    
Funny thing is I don't think a single clip in that entire montage is actually from the show!!! (lol)

A pre-promotion of sorts, I guess but I'm thinking the real deal is going to be a WHOLE lot better.  (kk)

Hey Kent:   

I wasn’t saying the American Breed should have done “Step Out” over “Bend Me”, They should have done both!! At least their two biggest hits.

On “Sunshine Psalm”, I think it depends on what audience you are trying to reach. If you are just trying to reach a group who remembers these bands from the 60’s, then I would not include the song. If you are trying to reach younger people who have only been exposed to these groups in the last 10 to 20 years, then it might be prudent to include it. The Hipsters and younger record / music enthusiasts have a completely different take on these songs. They have no historical perspective on them. They basically are all the same, unless some radio outlets include them. Two of the more asked for Cryan’ Shames tracks in more recent times are “Sunshine Psalm” & “Ben Franklin’s Almanac”. These are flip sides, but to younger people and Garage Rock enthusiasts, these are now the more desired sides of the record. Take for example the Beatles' “I Want To Hold Your Hand”. In it’s time, it was the #1 record of 1964 and by far the more popular side of the 45. But, in the last 30  years I would say that the flip side, “I Saw Her Standing There”, has become at least as popular if not more so. It’s just the way it goes. If you want to include this type of viewer in these shows, then it makes sense to play the song. 

The McCoys did an excellent version of “Come On, Let’s Go”. That was a Top 10 hit here. Maybe they shouldn’t have been on this particular show, but seeing them do that song would be great! Was there any idea of getting some of the other bands who had followings in Chicago like Del-Vetts, Little Boy Blues??  

Ken

I totally get that The American Breed should have done more than just their one biggest hit ... and that was the whole point of my response.  My guess is that they only prepared the one song ... like I said, it's not like these guys have been performing together regularly for all these years.  From that perspective, I'm just happy to see them included at all ... as they normally don't partake in these type of festivities.  (Maybe this, too, will lead to something better.)

And I also agree with the "I Want To Hold Your Hand" / "I Saw Her Standing There" analogy ... and have made the exact same point many times over the past ten years.  As big and as ground-breaking (and world-changing) as "I Want To Hold Your Hand" was at the time, it has paled in comparison to much of their earlier work from this same era.  (I always felt "She Loves You" should have been the bigger hit anyway)

I do NOT agree, however, that the B-Sides "Sunshine Psalm" and "Ben Franklin's Almanac" have eclipsed their A-Side counterparts.  "Sugar And Spice" just may be one of the most infectious singles released in the '60's.  (I never much cared for "Young Birds Fly" in the first place ... so "Sunshine Psalm is more of a moot point for me.  However, read what James Fairs says about the song below for a better understanding as to why they chose to include it.  All of that taken into account, I STILL don't believe it would have garnered as strong a reaction as "Mr. Unreliable" or "Greenburg Glickstein" may have under the same circumstances.

As for hit local performers left off the list, any number of other local acts were overlooked for this, most likely due to timing restraints (and familiarity to the potential mass audience.)  There's a bigger world out there than those who read Forgotten Hits (that love this sort of thing!)  lol.  Sounds like it was a great show from start to finish ... yes, I would have gone All-Chicago for the first time out and given some of these artists the chance to do more with their time slot.  Heck they could STILL take the Rick Derringer and Standells footage and edit them into an All-Garage Band Show and thereby air more of what will end up (for televising purposes anyway) on the cutting room floor.  (kk)  

This may clarify one of your blog's points:

Those of us who played through the sixties saw what packed the dance floors and rocketed the excitement. For the Shames, it was an electrifying version of 'Hey Joe' and ripped version of 'Sunshine Psalm'. You'd look up from your guitar and see the place goin' nuts! Now we can't lay any claim to 'Hey Joe' as an original; it's more of a classic. But Sunshine Psalm was, and is, ours. A hit? No ... a key part of the experience, most certainly! We'd change it up, just to keep things interesting, and we did so again for this special event. Steve Eisen blew a great ending solo (of course) and it was a great set closer.

Not everything fits neatly into a package, and I'm always looking to find that missing ingredient that completes the picture.

I hope this helps to explain things a bit. 

All the best,

James Fairs  

Wow! You really were on fire in print on Friday.

I'm glad you let your frustration out.

You are a great guy and it got you screwed.

I was wondering if I got you fired up at lunch on Thursday?

Steve Sarley

No, this has been brewing for quite some time.  At some point you just have to tell it like it is.  Extensive coverage on ALL the Chicago bands has gotten me criticism over the years from experts in the music industry ... "Yours will never be a national sheet because you focus too much on the groups from Chicago, most of whom didn't raise a blip on the national scene" ... I can't tell you how many times I've heard that one ... but I have maintained from Day One that I wasn't partial to this music because it came from Chicago ... I loved it because it competed on every level with the best of the music that was out there at the time. No, not all of it ... but there are some exceptional stand-out tracks that simply cannot be denied.  ("You Wouldn't Listen" by The Ides Of March is as good as ANY song released in 1966 ... yet it never made The National Top 40.  "It Could Be We're In Love" by The Cryan' Shames topped the Chicagoland charts for four straight weeks ... yet never rose above #85 in Billboard.  I've had music scholars who heard the song for the first time EVER in Forgotten Hits tell me that this song is on par with what Brian Wilson was writing and producing at the time.)  Likewise, The New Colony Six, who wrote all their own songs and played their own instruments.  (The Buckinghams had the biggest hits from coast-to-coast, but a big percentage of those came from the pen of Jim Holvay, who never got the chance to enjoy the same success with his own band, The Mob.  The others were cover versions of tracks written and recorded by the best of the best like The Beatles and James Brown ... and who didn't do the Lloyd Price song "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" back then.  They took the vocal arrangement of "Mercy Mercy Mercy" into The Top Five just five months after jazz great Cannonball Adderley hit #11 with his instrumental take.)

What I found disappointing on a personal level was the fact that even after a week-long profile of The Ides Of March 50th Anniversary Box Set ... excellent concert reviews of their Christmas Show and a free ticket giveaway to Jim Peterik's Lifeforce (where Jim told me my promo was so good it made HIM want to go to the show!), coverage of the dedicating of Ides Of March Way, an excellent review of his autobiography ... plus literally dozens and dozens and dozens of other Ides Of March promotional pieces over the years, this STILL wasn't good enough to get Jim to honor his word to break the story nationally here first in Forgotten Hits ... or allow us access to cover the rehearsals since we knew up front that we couldn't attend the main event.  (And I have to believe that a good percentage of that decision was influenced by Carl Giammarese of The Buckinghams who, for YEARS now has accused me of favoring Dennis Tufano's shows over their own ... which is, plain and simple, 100% not true.)  We've promoted BOTH artists to the hilt in Forgotten Hits over the past sixteen years, doing countless profiles of the original days of the band as well as keeping folks up to date with what both Carl and Dennis are doing these days.  Me simply pointing out the fact that EVERY original hit the band ever had was sung by Dennis Tufano is not showing prejudicial or preferential treatment ... it is simply stating A MATTER OF FACT.  Period.

So yeah, being aced out of the announcement ... and then not being allowed to attend the rehearsals (despite promises to give these the same coverage we did for The Marty Grebb Benefit Concert ... which was nothing short of outstanding and sensational ... ask ANYBODY!!!) ... totally pissed me off.  When asked what I was going to say about it, I simply replied "just speaking my mind" ... and that's EXACTLY what I did.  (kk)   

Hi Kent -

THANK YOU for the GREAT comments on the Cornerstone Garage Band Tribute!  Even without seeing it yet, I agree with you that The McCoys and The Standells should not have been there. More New Colony Six (my FAVORITE GROUP like you!) songs should have been included. I have ALL their albums and they did some innovative music from every angle! 

The Buckinghams were given due justice with ALL their hits and ANYTHING the Cryan' Shames recorded was FANTASTIC. So glad Jim Fairs came to join the group, too. 

Jimy Sohns is UNBELEIVABLE and I would see him perform any day! The Ides of March, from my alma mater Morton West and Charles E. Piper School, really put BERWYN on the map with their music. 

Would have liked to have The Mob, The Mauds, Spanky and Our Gang there also ... Maybe one day!

Can not wait to see the program on Channel 11 and buy the DVD with the uncensored version!

Keep on ROCKIN', Kent. You are the local "Dick Clark" with your Forgotten Hits.

Carolyn

>>>Does anybody other than me even remember tracks like "Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White" by The Standells and The McCoys' version of "Come On Let's Go"???  (kk)

Kent,

To answer your question, I remember the songs SOMETIMES GOOD GUYS DON'T WEAR WHITE and COME ON LET'S GO.

The show itself will probably be aired in February if I was guessing since that is the normal time for them to take donations for programming. I am quite sure I will order the DVD and I again am assuming one will be put out of the concert.

Larry  

Kent,

You have become too jaded about live shows in your old age. Of course this song, or that song, could have been included / eliminated. Who knows how many shows you and I and the rest of the FH team have been to in the last 50 or so years, (a figure that was brought up several times during the nite). We've seen great shows, good shows, OK shows, and a few that were down right awful (disappointing might be a better description). While you and I are native Chicagoans and last nite's show has special memories about the music, not everyone in FH is. I was there. I drove 327 miles, one way, to see this show. (Yes, I clocked it). I missed the last one a couple months ago, because of logistics, and I was determined to see this. I was not disappointed. Nine acts, plus guests, were on stage at one time or another, and as you mentioned for the Louie Louie encore. I wasn't expecting a full set by the Buckinghams, NC6, the Shames, or anyone else. So I will break this down for you, song by song.

I actually might have had the best seats in the house. There's no way that the VIP seats were worth $75.00 than general admission. I had front center and was seated next to a sweet 81 years old woman named Marge Abbott, who just happened to be the sister of Ides bassist, Bob Bergland. She says she attends all the Ides shows in the area.  I was told that the venue would hold about 450 seats before the fire marshall would get worried, and yes, every seat, plus some standing room, was filled.

So here's the set list, plus notes I made. 

The Ides Of March opened the show with the Music Explosion hit, Little Bit O' Soul. Not sure about the inclusion of that song, but It didn't detract from anything. Four more songs would follow:

You Wouldn't Listen

L.A. Goodbye with a string section added

Superman

Get It On the tribute to Bill Chase which featured Dartanyan Brown, formally of Chase. 

The set concluded with Vehicle.

Next up were the New Colony Six. They, like much of the artists of the night, were backed up by the Ides Of March. To see Ray Graffia, Jr., Ronnie Rice and Bruce Mattey, on stage, even for four songs, is a treat. I , too, would have liked to have heard Roll On or I Lie Awake. I'd also like to be independently wealthy and have world peace.

Their set list was:

I Confess

I Love You So Much

Things I'd Like To Say w/ string section

I Will Always Always Think About You

Not only were there three vocalists, but counting some of the Ides Of March, there were as many as seven vocalists, with nobody getting in the way of anyone's harmonies.

On to the Cryan' Shames, which I was really anxious to see. They had always been my fave Chicago area group. As you mentioned, the Shames were robbed as far as Billboard peak positions were concerned, but I won't get into that, and it's been covered in FH before. Sometime when you have a slow day Kent, I'll run you a piece on just how trade journals, Billboard, Cashbox and Record World, come up with their stats and sales probably figure into it the least. I also gotta say that Jim Fairs has made a deal with the devil. I will assume for the moment that Jim is at least 65, the same age as me. (I'll have more on that stat later). I suppose he could go to the same hair stylist as Jim Peterik does. Hmmm hairstyling for Jims. He's got hair halfway down his back and it's still dark. Now that can be altered, but he looks like he could be his kid. Jim also related how he came to write It Could Be We're In Love. Great harmonies as well. They did five songs.

Sugar & Spice

It Could Be We're In Love

Up On The Roof 

I Wanna Meet You 

Sunshine Psalm

I, too, would have liked Mr. Unreliable. Maybe I'll ask for my money back. Maybe this is a good time to mention that, for the most part, time wasted moving equipment around was very minimal, a fact that was impressed upon me as I picked this moment for a needed break and in that short time, The American Breed was halfway thru Bend Me Shape Me, their only song for the nite. I have major trouble with that aspect. Even the Standells and McCoys got two songs. 

I met Jimy Sohns about five months ago at a record show in Springfield and in Peoria, IL. A very nice man, and wild and crazy on stage. I would like to see a full set by him one day. I tend to doubt it will happen for me tho. More on that, too. Jimy did three songs. When not performing, he sat in the audience (non VIP).

Shake (a nice surprise)

Oh Yeah 

Gloria

I didn't know about the Standells being there, until that nite. They did two songs. They did mention how the White Sox had co-opted the song for their slogan. Nice to hear Chicago's only World Series winning team, in the last 100 years mentioned. MC Wendy Snyder, also mentioned she was a Sox fan.

Dirty Water and Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White. 

OK so the latter song isn't well known, so what? How many concerts have you been to where there was at least one song that the audience wasn't familiar with? It's a cinch you won't hear it on oldies radio anytime soon. I can see why you wonder about the inclusion of them, and the next act, Rick Derringer / McCoys. Wendy Snyder remarked when she was a rock jock, they played Rock And Roll Hoochie Koo so often, she had the cart # memorized. Rick played Hang On Sloopy and Rock And Roll Hoochie Koo.  Rick made mention of Hang On Sloopy being the official Rock and Roll song of Ohio.  Rick also mentioned how Hang On Sloopy was #1, while Yesterday was #2 while he was on tour with Ringo. That is until someone mentioned that maybe he should ask Ringo if it was OK if he said that. Ringo didn't care.  

A similar feat was brought up during the Buckinghams' set. I had never seen Dennis Tufano play with them, so this was gonna be a treat ... at least that's what I thought. They would play five songs.

Don't You Care

Mercy Mercy Mercy

On both of these songs, Dennis was not with them. Dennis came on to sing the next three.

Susan

Hey Baby (They're Playing Our Song)

Kind Of A Drag

Dennis remarked how it had knocked off I'm A Believer off the top spot. Nationally anyways. The song stalled at #2 in Chicago. 

While it was well known that there would be a tribute to Mitch Aliotta, of Aliotta Haynes & Jeremiah, Skip Haynes, who wrote the song, and sings it, was actually a last minute addition, having heard about it, because a friend happened to be listening to Wendy Snyder talk to Jim Peterik and Carl Giammarese on her show about the event, and told him. There was a fiddle/violin player helping out, I didn't catch her name. For some reason they played the song twice. OK with me. Maybe an equipment malfunction. 

I was thinking there would have to be some closing number where everyone got on stage and sang and I was right. When they said it would be the greatest garage band song of all time there was no doubt that it would have to be Louie Louie and I was right. 

It was a great show.  Thirty songs in all were performed and it moved pretty quickly. Lake Shore Drive was the only song repeated.

Because I live in the middle of nowhere, and the closest major town for concerts, is St. Louis, Mo., I have to think this might have been the last concert I ever attend. It has to do with two things. First off, coming home at midnight, or later, and driving 100 miles or so is exhausting, especially in inclement weather. Next is the fact that Mrs. Jack, works five nights a week and doesn't necessarily have the corresponding evenings off. Mrs. Jack gave her blessings for me to attend the show with her immediate predecessor. Is this the best show I ever attended? Probably not. My ears are still ringing from a Springsteen concert I saw in 1977. A top 10 show for sure, and maybe a top five. There is talk about bringing the show to venues in the Midwest. If it comes to St. Louis, Effingham, or Evansville, I will show up. I'll be anxious to see the show when it airs on PBS. I'm sure there are details I forgot, but I think I got everything.

Jack Levin (Rock And Roll Never Forgets)

As cool as it would be to take this show out on the road and let other fans of the music see it, I'm really not sure how practical and realistic that would be.  Ronnie Rice singing regularly with The New Colony Six again?  Probably not going to happen (although with the backup of The Ides, they certainly could expand their horizons musically ... and include some of those songs I suggested earlier.)  On a full show / tour level, I see no reason why they couldn't break this into a two one-hour sets and give fans more of what they want to see from The Cryan' Shames and The American Breed, too.  Plus this would allow Peterik to incorporate some of his Survivor hits into the program ... I can't imagine seeing Peterik and The Ides and NOT hearing "Eye Of The Tiger"!!!

Carl and Nick inviting Dennis to continue to participate is even LESS likely to happen.  (And in this regard, Carl brings up a good point ... the "value" of the band ... whether it be two original members, three original members or four original members ... really doesn't change based on the head-count.  The Buckinghams are going to make whatever they're going to make ... they'd just have to share the pot more ways.  The Carl and Nick / Buckinghams Show has done just fine on its own for many, many years now and while bringing Dennis Tufano out as a "special guest" is a nice touch from time to time, I can't imagine they'd want (or feel any need) to do this on a regular basis.

Plus realistically once the entire show is available through DVD, you can watch it as many times as you like ... you don't really need to go out and see it again and again.  (Coupled with The Marty Grebb Benefit Concert, this would make TWO incredible additions to any Chicagoan's musical collection.)  I would rather see a renewed interest in all these acts so that they might book more summer shows as individuals (where they could expand their own sets to include more of their hits) ... or "double team" as a couple of package shows.  Imagine a "Chicago Gold Weekend" featuring The Shadows Of Knight, The Cryan' Shames and The Buckinghams on one night ... and then The American Breed, The New Colony Six and The Ides Of March on another.  Venues could sell two-day passes to see the whole thing ... and then on night one, Ronnie Rice could sit in as a featured guest of The Shames and Dennis Tufano could sit in as a special guest of The Ides ... now EVERYBODY's represented without any internal conflicts raising their ugly heads!!!  (See guys ... ALWAYS thinking!!!)  Now THAT'S a show I'll bet you could sell tickets for!  (kk)   

Kent,

Anyone would be hard-pressed to find a bigger music ambassador than you for the city of Chicago, or for that matter, most of the proven artists music scene in this country.  The music artists and luminaries that pop up in Forgotten Hits certainly speak to its credibility and value.  Wish you were on the board of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as looking at their latest voting stats speak loudly of your musical tastes and credibility.  When it comes to zeal, enthusiasm, and love of music, I think most everyone would agree, we don't know where in the hell you find your energy but please tell us the website where we can purchase it.  I am sure you hear this repeatedly, but don't stop what you are doing.  Other music publications could take a lesson from your example spreading the medicine of music and the candid, honest reporting of Forgotten Hits.  Thank-You,Tim Kiley

Thank you, Tim ... your email made my day.  And let me state again for the record ... we often find ourselves in the position of having to call 'em as we see 'em ... which, from time to time, requires us to render our opinion ... but in MOST cases we find it FAR easier to simply state things as a matter of fact ... because you just can't argue with the truth.  (kk)   

Wow, Kent – awesome coverage!  I was humbled and nearly brought to tears over some of your incredibly kind words; a zillion thank yous would fall far short of being sufficient.  Blown away, kk – what you wrote is what I feel. 

My perspective on the invitation, Kent, is validation from sources that have otherwise chosen to remove our band, The New Colony Six, from its rightful place as the group that  broke down previously insurmountable airplay barriers that seemingly existed at Chicago, Midwest and Nationwide radio stations and led to the crush of wonderful Chicago music that came from the Colony and so many of our fabulous peers and subsequent generations of performers in the months, years and now half century+ following the “Breakthrough” by our song, “I Confess”.  Our band was always a collective and never an individual --- from writing to performing, from backroom decision-making to our onstage presence, from departing members to selecting newcomers, from anything to everything -- we were truly a group.  Hence, prior omissions from previous events and even the limited participation that has been allowed in this coming program have been tough to take.  (At one point we were cut from six songs down to three ... I had to fight hard to settle in at the four we ultimately performed.)

Perhaps this is just the increasing sensitivity of an aging man, but the show’s inclusion of Bruce, Ronnie and me at least advocates for the recognition of NC6 as what was and still is a cooperative democracy and not an autocracy … and is very much appreciated!  WE will do our very best to rock the house, despite the absence of many important NC6ers – past and present.   

We are kindred spirits and to use the oft repeated but never more apropos phrase, I feel as though we are “brothers from a different mother”.  Love ya, man!       

Ray   

Hi Kent! 

Thanks so much for the positive comments on the Cornerstones show we taped on October 16 at WTTW.  Everyone onstage and in the audience had a blast.  I'm still buzzing with good vibrations. 

It went really well and I wish you coulda been there.  
Please understand that this was our chance to do a more complete job than we were able to do in last year's Cornerstones show. That was not a matter of my disloyalty -  there were many factors beyond my control that caused not every band to be represented in full. We did what we could.
As far as the American Breed, Gary requested they do just one song - Bend Me Shape Me - and we agreed to it.  What a thrill to see the breed reunited.
I'm glad we got to join many forces that couldn't seem to come together prior to this show.
If you knew the work that was done by me and others leading up to this show to get this whole team working together, I think you might be a bit more charitable. Shows like this are never easy to mount but so worthwhile.  We are moving forward - together ... not looking back on the growing pains of the past.
I'm overwhelmed by the Chicago fan support and of course I'd like to thank you for your support and passion through the years.  I'll send you an update soon.  

Thanx again for all you did to promote this historic night.

Keep Rocking!

Jimbo 

Jim, I have always ... and WILL always help promote the events of our local heroes ... I have ALWAYS been a fan first ... and would have LOVED to have been at that concert.  But because I knew in advance that I already had Stevie Wonder tickets (review to come) I felt the best and closest way to accomplish that (and still help give you guys the press you deserved) was to attend the two nights of rehearsals ... and help build the hype from the pre-show perspective.  (Now by that point this gig was LONG sold-out ... so nobody reading this had anything to gain in the way of possibly attending ... but I believed ... much as we did with The Marty Grebb Benefit Concert ... that we could still drum up some excitement from coast to coast for fans anxious to see the first airing of this landmark event.  Couple that with some exclusive photos like we did for the Grebb gig and everybody wins.)  What upset me was the fact that after being aced out of the initial announcement (after direct promises from you and Carl in this regard) that no restitution was made by invitations to the rehearsals.

Be that as it may, this doesn't diminish my love for this music and the artists who created it ... and, as such, I will always be excited and willing to help in any way I can. 

Believe me, I DO show great appreciation for all that goes into putting together a show like this ... and in that regard, you did a commendable job ... outstanding in fact, based on all I've heard from the folks who were actually there that night.  (And I think that you would be the first to agree, on the record or off, that a lot of the obstacles you fought with last year's Ides Cornerstones show were due to the behind the scenes politics of certain participants.  Those same influences almost caused you to miss The Marty Grebb Benefit Concert which, had that happened, I believe you would have regretted for the rest of your life.)  My sincerest hope (and expectation) is that you, as an individual who has certainly earned his right at the top of the heap, will always use your best personal judgment, kick these distractions to the side and NEVER lose sight and focus of what these events are really all about in the first place.  As you have seen first hand, the love from the audience comes back ten-fold ... please don't let ANYONE ever stand in the way of what you truly believe in your heart.  (kk)   

Kent -

Thank You once again for all you do for the Music. You have been a great friend, sound board and voice of reason for all of us music makers from Chicago and beyond! God Bless and looking forward to seeing you soon.

Dennis Tufano

50 Year Flashback - October 19, 1965

We're back in Chicago for this week's chart.  The Beatles sit on top with their two-sided hit "Yesterday' / "Act Naturally" and The Top 20 still seem to be pretty well populated for British Invasion acts:  Herman's Hermits at #3 with "Just A Little Bit Better:, The Rolling Stones at #5 (up 19 places) with "Get Off My Cloud", The Animals are at #12 with "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" (up 10 notches), Marianne Faithfull's at #13, and The Fortunes are at #18.

Climbing the chart are The Gentrys with their first big hit "Keep On Dancing" (it premiers at #23 this week) while the "5 Star Record To Watch" is The Beatles' version of "Boys", a record that will soon be pulled off the market as it was no longer in keeping with the sound of the band today.  (Capitol Records was still tying to cash in on their earlier success by re-releasing tracks on their new Starline Record Label ... and "Boys' / "Kansas City" was their latest means of doing so.  Neither of these tracks were released as singles here in The States upon their original release dates.  It was hardly representative of a band who was currently in the recording studio laying down tracks for their Christmas release "Rubber Soul"!)

Also of interest this week here in Chi-Town:  Danny Hutton's solo hit (pre-Three Dog Night) "Roses And Rainbows)  sitting at #30, Neil Sedaka's beautiful "The World Through A Tear" (which tanked nationally) and "Trouble With A Woman", a local hit for Kipp and Ken.

The Zombies Concert Review

Forgotten Hits Reader Brad Joblin send us this review of The Zombies concert he saw in  Ridgefield, Connecticut last week.

This is the big reunion tour that features not only Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent (who have been back together again touring and recording a new album for the past couple of years) but also original bassist Chris White and drummer Hugh Grundy.  Guitarist Paul Atkinson passed away in 2004.)

The showcase focal point this time around is the performance of their "Odessey and Oracle" album in its entirety.  (By the time this record was first released in 1968, the band had already split up.  One of their biggest hits, "Time Of The Season" was released as a single the following year ... and soon The Zombies had the #1 Single in the country ... but couldn't even tour behind it!)

The Zombies are making select stops around the world to perform this special set of music.  (In fact, they were right here ... well, 90 minutes away ... last Friday Night at The Star Plaza Theater in Merrillville, Indiana.)  A complete list of tour dates can be found here: http://www.thezombies.net/future/

(We had the chance to see them a couple of years ago when they performed at The Arcada Theatre ... as the opening act for Burton Cummings!!! Man, what a night of music THAT was!)

FH 2013 Concert review here:
http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2013/10/zombies-concert-review.html

Here is Brad's official report ...


Kent,
 
Last night, at The Ridgefield Playhouse (Ridgefield, Connecticut), The Zombies treated a nearly sold-out crowd to absolutely the finest musicianship.
 
Quoting Rolling Stone from last summer: 
 
"Nearly 50 years after The Zombies released their landmark Odessey & Oracle, the four surviving members who recorded that album will reunite to perform their classic LP live and in its entirety. Singer Colin Blunstone and keyboardist Rod Argent will be joined by bassist Chris White and drummer Hugh Grundy this autumn when the original Zombies reform to perform Odessey & Oracle live for the first time; the band initially broke up in December 1967, four months before their 1968 masterpiece was released.  Guitarist Paul Atkinson, who also featured on Odessey & Oracle, passed away in 2004.  Guitarist Tom Tooney, drummer Steve Rodford and ex-Argent bassist Jim Rodford will fill out the current Zombies touring lineup."

The first act of the show included The Zombies hits and some great new tracks from their album released days ago called "Still Got That Hunger", which includes some very catchy tunes, especially the track "New York".  Listen to a 30 second preview here:  

http://www.amazon.com/New-York/dp/B014QHGUCE/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1444881069&sr=8-10&keywords=Still+Got+The+Hunger

This is the actual set list from the first act:

After an intermission the band returned, now joined by Hugh Grundy, Chris White and a special guest, the genius keyboard player from Brian Wilson's band, Darian Sahanaja, who added special support on vocals and keyboards, including a Mellotron M4000D.  Promptly, they commenced the powerful and dead-on performance, track by track, of "Odessey and Oracle", nearly 50 years after its release.  The magic was still there and made even more enjoyable by the outstanding sound mixing by Zombies FOH engineer Dale Hanson.  From the first track “Care of Cell 44” to the classic last track "Time of the Season" we were blown away. 

Set list for second act:

The Zombies enjoyed the company of Paul Shaffer backstage and they talked after the show late into the night.  Clearly Paul admires these guys, and rightly so.

 
Backstage at The Ridgefield Playhouse.  Left to Right: Hugh Grundy (original drummer), Rod Argent (original keyboard player and vocals), Colin Blunstone (original lead singer) and Paul Shaffer.  Photo Courtesy of Brad Joblin (c) 2015

Brad Joblin
Ridgefield, CT

VERY cool, Brad ... thanks so much for sending.


Have you read Carl Wiser's interview with Colin Blunstone?  You'll find it on his Songfacts page here:
http://www.songfacts.com/blog/interviews/colin_blunstone_of_the_zombies/
 

Cornerstones Of Chicago Rock - Taking A Look From Another Perspective

From what we've heard by all accounts, last night's taping of The Cornerstones of Rock was nothing short of incredible.  All of our local heroes came home to perform together again, everybody was in top form and the audience loved it ... and, best of all the entire proceedings were taped for all posterity.  (There have even been some rumblings that, depending on how well this program is received when it finally airs in a month or two, they may just take this act on the road so that other fans across the midwest can enjoy it too!) 

While one might think that coming on the heels of The Benefit Concert For Marty Grebb, organized by Dennis Tufano, former lead singer of The Buckinghams and staged at The Arcada Theatre back in May of this year, this incredible reunion of all our local greats might have lost some of its impact.  After all, many of us had just seen most of these same artists perform their biggest hits a few months before.  But this obviously wasn't the case as the audience rose to its feet again and again as each and every act wowed them with the music we all grew up loving here in The Windy City.   

Some of the biggest drawing cards this time around were the facts that it was all being filmed for broadcast and included some of the great Chicagoland artists overlooked at the earlier event such as The American Breed (who haven't performed together in close to 40 years!) as well as tributes to both Chase and Aliotta, Haynes and Jeremiah. 

As mentioned in our piece yesterday, the inclusion of some non-Chicago artists like The McCoys and The Standells takes away some of the focus from the super-active Windy City Music Scene of the late '60's and early '70's.  And, even at that, other deserving and notable acts like The Mob (featuring Jim Holvay, who wrote four of The Buckinghams' biggest hits ... how the heck did Carl overlook inviting THIS guy?!?!), Spanky and Our Gang, The Flock, Jamestown Massacre and several others who dominated the club scene despite not making the charts were not included in this '60's celebration.  (Sadly one of MY personal favorites ... and one of the most dynamic performers I've ever seen ... Jimy Rogers of The Mauds ... couldn't be there to enjoy his spotlight moment ... as he passed away a few years ago.) 

Chicago is very proud of its rich pop music heritage ... we've executed our "bragging rights" here in Forgotten Hits for YEARS now ... so the concept really isn't all that new.  In fact, thirty years ago Photographer Michael Bush reunited most of these very same acts to appear at a local record convention.   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B505M0mpFnU  
(Of course, it's been awhile since this happened ... and the comradaree between these participants was at a much higher level back then ... sadly, far too many of these artists have been nurturing long-standing wounds over the past several decades ... so it HAS been nice to see some of these folks bury the hatchet every now and then and make nice with one another again ... even if it is just for a special "one night only" occasion.) 

Last year, The Ides Of March hosted "The Cornerstones Of Chicago Rock" as part of their 50th Anniversary (although truthfully the premise was pretty bogus at best ... but then again, as we've learned recently, for all of his incredible talents, loyalty isn't one of Jim Peterik's strong suits ... even when it comes to artists he's been friends with for forty years or more!)  

Billed as a tribute to the lead singers, Ray Graffia, Jr. of The New Colony Six ... one of the original founders of the band ... and the guy who STILL fronts the band in concert to this day ... was left off the bill in favor of Ronnie Rice, who joined the group midway through their second album.  (Truth be told they BOTH should have been there, a wrong that was finally corrected at the WTTW taping last night.)  Without question it was the music of Ronnie Rice that put the band on the national map ... but these days you've practically got to pry a New Colony Six song out of him in concert ... while Ray has continued to perform the complete hit collection (seventeen in all on the Chicagoland charts) on a regular basis.

Also snubbed last year was Dennis Tufano, the guy who sang every hit The Buckinghams ever had.  Sure, Carl Giammarese has kept the "brand" going for upwards of 35 years now ... and he's done an excellent job of doing so ... but everybody knows that the voice on all those hit records belongs to Dennis.  For The Ides to build a showcase around the premise of saluting the lead singers who set the tone of the Chicago music scene ... and then NOT invite Dennis Tufano, was nothing short of insulting.  

And, as far as new and unique concert concepts go, truth be told, Jim Pilster of The Cryan' Shames has been presenting "Chicago Gold" as part of his Cryan' Shames concerts for at least 10-12 years now, often bringing up guest vocalists like Ronnie Rice, Dennis Tufano, Jimy Sohns and Jimy Rogers while The Shames provided the back-up sounds of the music that helped shape our lives back in the '60's, much as The Ides Of March did last night on The Channel 11 stage.  (Jimmy and I have been talking for at LEAST that long about trying to get a WTTW / Soundstage television special together to pay tribute to all these excellent musicians ... but it never went anywhere.)  In that respect, kudos to Jim Peterik for finally pulling it off.  This is a special that needed to be made.  (It still would have been nice to tape some special interviews ... and edit in some of the original clips from back in the day to show all of these acts when they were in their prime.  Hopefully WTTW has a few tricks and surprises up its sleeve in this regard that will do even further justice to this great heritage of music before it officially airs.)    

That being said, the distribution of songs allowed on the program was a bit distorted.  The biggest news of the day was the fact that all four original members of The American Breed were reuniting on stage for the first time in over 40 years.  So, under the huge national spotlight, they brought up Gary Loizzo, Al Ciner, Chuck Colbert and Lee Graziano and then allowed them to perform exactly ONE song together.  (Now granted, it was their biggest hit, "Bend Me, Shape Me", a #1 Record in Chicago as well as in Record World Magazine ... but shouldn't they have been given a little bit more of the spotlight after waiting this long to return to the stage?  And then, after all of that, they didn't even play their own instruments ... The Ides Of March backed them up instead!!!)  Simply put, this isn't something you're going to see every day ... it would have been nice to give the band a little more time.  The reunion of The American Breed was a major coup ... these guys just haven't done any of these "nostalgic" shows. Lead vocalist Gary Loizzo retired from performing to take a seat behind the console, producing much of Styx's early work ... so to see him embrace this opportunity to once again take center stage was a true delight.  Who knows if it will ever happen again?  I believe they should have been able to enjoy a longer moment in the sun.    

The Ides Of March did a great job of filling the role of the "house band", providing back up for all of the various singers who took the stage that night.  The only other group allowed to perform on their own was the current line-up of The Buckinghams. NOBODY out of Chicago had more national hits than these guys did in the '60's ... FIVE Top Ten Hits!!!  They were voted the #1 Group of 1967 by no less an authority than Cash Box Magazine.  (Keep in mind that 1967 was The Year of The Monkees, The Summer of Love and "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" ... so there is NO way to over-emphasize the importance of this honor!!!)   

I will admit that it was really nice to see Carl Giammarese extend the olive branch and invite former lead singer Dennis Tufano up to sing a couple of songs as The Buckinghams' Special Guest at the end of their set ... I have seen few concert attractions more heart-warming than watching Carl, Nick, Dennis and Marty performing together  at The Marty Grebb Benefit Concert a few months back ... it was truly something magical, especially since, by Carl's own admission, he's spent the bulk of the past 35 years trying to make audiences forget Dennis ever even existed!  (My understanding is that inviting Marty to participate in last night's taping was considered as more of an afterthought ... but Marty was already booked for another gig at that point.  It would have been REALLY nice to see HIS performance permanently documented on film, too.)  

It was great, too, to see Aliotta, Haynes and Jeremiah honored with a finale reading of their classic hit "Lake Shore Drive".  Having lost two of their three members recently, it was especially fitting to see them included in this Chicago salute ... and represented by Skip Haynes, the song's writer, and Ted Aliotta, Mitch's brother and one-time member of the band.  Photographer Jack Mongan told me that Skip Haynes said that, other than the original recording, the band had never performed the song live before with the iconic violin part that so dominates the record.  Thanks to the incredible Anne Harris, this, too, has now been captured for all eternity.

Squeezing in songs by The McCoys and The Standells (does anybody other than me even remember tracks like "Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White" and The McCoys' version of "Come On Let's Go"???) cut into time that could have been spent on our local heroes.  (Even the group-ensemble finale of "Louie Louie", while certainly fitting in the context of a garage band program, took precious time away from the guys we really wanted to see.) 

In my opinion, one of the greatest oversights of the night had to be allowing The New Colony Six only four songs ... it was THESE GUYS that broke down the door in getting local music played on AM Radio Giants WLS and WCFL back in the mid-'60's.  To only give them four songs (and not acknowledge the fact that, without them, we may never even have had the chance to hear all the great local groups that came along afterwards) is just plain wrong.  At the very least it would have been nice to see them squeeze in a couple more songs.  (In fact, Ronnie Rice told me that one of his biggest thrills last year at The Ides' 50th Anniversary Event was singing "I'm Just Waitin', Anticipatin'" accompanied by The Ides Of March horns ... he says the song never sounded so good.)  Yet fans in the viewing audience weren't treated to this one (which clocks in at all of under two minutes) in order to fit in more time for The McCoys and The Standells, two groups who aren't even from Chicago.  Similarly, it would have been nice to include Ray's 1968 hit "Can't You See Me Cry" as well as "You're Gonna Be Mine", the first song that Ronnie and Ray ever wrote together. 

Don't get me wrong ... sooner or later SOME band would have been the first to breakthrough (also the name of The New Colony Six's first album, by the way) on Chicago radio ... but the fact of the matter is that the ones that DID it were The New Colony Six).  Once they crashed the doors down, The Shadows Of Knight, The Cryan' Shames, The Ides Of March and The Buckinghams were able to walk through that door in 1966 and also stake their claim to local rock and roll sainthood ... but it was The New Colony Six that first opened that door allowing them to do so. 

(Many of these artists have spent a good amount of time attempting to "rewrite history" over the past 45 years.  "Gloria" was NOT the first Chicagoland Hit to breakthrough on the national charts ... and it did NOT go to #1 and sell a million copies.  A landmark recording?  Yes ... absolutely ... Rolling Stone Magazine even named it one of the most important recordings in rock and roll history ... but the guys who hit first were The New Colony Six.)  

Much has been made over the years about the evolution of The Ides Of March ... from the early, garage band sounds of "You Wouldn't Listen" to the sophisticated horns and driving beat of "Vehicle" just four years later ... without question, a remarkable feat.  But what about The New Colony Six?  

They started off as a true garage band in every sense of the word, performing songs like "I Confess", "I Lie Awake", "Dawn Is Breaking", "At The River's Edge" and others, all precursors to a genre we would eventually call punk rock twenty years later.  Then they went into their "pop" period with hits like "Love You So Much", "You're Gonna Be Mine", "I'm Just Waitin', Anticipatin'" and "Treat Her Groovy" before hitting it large with the ballad phase of their career and soft-rock hits like "I Will Always Think About You", "Things I'd Like To Say", "Can't You See Me Cry", "I Want You To Know" and "I Could Never Lie To You".  Then they came back again to wrap things up with the balls-out, up-tempo rocker "Roll On" followed by two of the most beautiful ballads most people never heard, "Long Time To Be Alone" and "Never Be Lonely".  Over the course of their career, these guys explored four or five different genres of music and succeeded at every single one of them!  Certainly ANY one (or two or three) of those songs would have been more fitting to include than "Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White" by The Standells!!! 

If The New Colony Six are the band most lacking in respect for their contribution to the evolution of the Chicago sound in the '60's, then The Cryan' Shames have to be the guys most grossly ignored.  Between 1966 and 1969 they churned out some of the best-sounding, precisely executed music to ever come out of The Windy City ... yet despite totally dominating the Chicagoland Charts, they barely made a dent on the national scene.  You couldn't find better harmonies out there ... several other groups of this era have often admitted that they aspired to be "as good as The Cryan' Shames" ... including The Ides Of March and The Buckinghams.  Hits like "Sugar And Spice", "I Wanna Meet You", "Mr. Unreliable", "It Could Be We're In Love", "Up On The Roof", "Young Birds Fly", "Greenburg, Glickstein, CHarles David Smith and Jones" and "First Train To California" as well as key album tracks like "Dennis Dupree From Danville" and "Cobblestone Road" insured that they were always on the radio during this era.  Reuniting original members Jim "Hooke" Pilster, lead vocalist Tom Doody and guitarist / chief songwriter James Fairs was a dream come true for any Cryan' Shames fan who grew up in the '60's. 

Add in The Shadows of Knight and tributes to Chase and Aliotta, Haynes and Jeremiah and this was a pretty killer night of Chicago rock, encompassing all of the "biggies".  But it still could have been better handled.  This show, which is being used to kick off the brand new PBS Series "Cornerstones", should have been ALL about Chicago ... then they could have done an "American Garage Band" special down the line ... and featured FAR more groups to better represent this genre than the two that performed last night ... by all means, expand this into a monthly music series, each time exploring a different area of the music of our generation ... but it is absolutely fitting that the very first program should all kick off right here in Chicago on a show that originated here in Chicago, featuring the guys who originally put our city on the map way back when. 

Stay tuned for broadcast dates ... and as soon as we get news as to how you might be able to purchase the entire, full-length performance on dvd, we'll let you know, as this is something you'll surely want to add to your collection. 

Really happy for Ray and Ronnie.  Wish Jerry, Chic, Craig, Pat and myself could be there, too.  Now THAT would be a cornerstone!  

Do be Colony!  

Wally Kemp

MY hope is that after Ronnie and Ray experienced the electricity of the crowd during this performance, they'll consider putting together a series of shows spotlighting the complete history of the band ... and include many of the original and subsequent members in some fashion, much like what was done at The St. Pats Hall Of Fame induction a couple of years ago or The New Colony Six Reunion Concert in the '80's.  Imagine getting a New Colony TWELVE together (with a horn section and minimal orchestration) and putting on a series of shows that covers their entire catalog.  (And, if things keep moving forward at the rate they are right now, there just may be a brand new New Colony Six Greatest Hits CD to promote in the process!!!  Stay tuned!)  kk  

Gee ... I know a former Chicago DJ  who went into TV ... and could have been a "knowledgeable" host. But, modesty prevents me from naming him!  
Bob Hale  
I'll be the first to admit that Wendy Snyder was an unusual selection to host this thing ... I would have immediately thought of either Bob Sirott or Bob Stroud to handle these honors ... or even just let Ron Onesti run with the whole thing, knowing how much he loves and appreciates this music.  His energy would have kept the whole thing moving at an entertaining pace.  But you, too, Bob, would have made an excellent choice ... as would Clark Weber (who first programmed these tracks on the radio) and Dick Biondi.  At the very least they should have taped brief snippets with everybody to edit into the piece.  (Guys like Art Roberts and Larry Lujack, both of whom are no longer with us, had an impact as well.  It was Lujack who told The New Colony Six that they were promoting the wrong side of their new record and got them to flip it over, making "Things I'd Like To Say" their biggest national hit.  And it was Art Roberts who suggested the "call and response" feature in The Ides Of March's biggest hit "Vehicle".)  SO much more could have been done with this special had they taken the time to do so ... but then it would have had to run for six hours and would likely only draw an audience of a few hundred die-hard fans like ourselves!  (lol)  kk    

Hi Kent:  
I disagree with you a bit on the inclusion of “Sunshine Psalm” in the Cryan’ Shames set. It’s a B side that should have been an A side. It was covered by a few Midwest groups at the time (Sometimes called “I Need Her”), and has gained popularity over the years with Record collectors of Garage Rock, Psych Pop etc. It’s a nice track that should have been re-titled and tried to get a hit out of it.    
The American Breed not doing “Step Out Of Your Mind”?   Whose brain fart was that??    
Ken  
If The Cryan' Shames were doing a retrospective of their own work, "Sunshine Psalm" (along with several other album cuts and B-Sides) would be expected ... but within the context of a "Chicago's Greatest Hits Of The '60's" concert, NOBODY's going to know what it is ... and not question what it's doing there ... especially when legitimate hits were already being left off the set list.  
My hope is that a program like this renews interest in ALL of the Chicagoland bands of the '60's (most of whom have found it EXTREMELY difficult to find work the past few years due to all the festivals trying to save a few bucks by hiring "copy bands" instead).  Perhaps with some heightened awareness, groups like The Cryan' Shames and The New Colony Six will begin lining up summer gigs again after this "Cornerstones of Rock" television special airs.  (Even The Buckinghams may fine next summer a little leaner now that they've been dropped from The Happy Together Tour.)  
As for The American Breed, I can only surmise that because they haven't stayed in touch with one another or kept up performances over the past forty years, it was somewhat difficult to regroup and present themselves as a band again.  Maybe one song was all they could muster up for the program.  I, too, believe "Step Out Of Your Mind" should have been part of the set list ... "Green Light" and either "Ready, Willing And Able" or perhaps the better-known (thanks to multiple cover versions) "Any Way That You Want Me" would have been nice, too.  
Gary Loizzo has been on the other side of the board for so long now that maybe he doesn't miss performing as much as one might think ... but The American Breed are one of only TWO Chicagoland Bands of the '60's to reach #1 on the national charts.  "Bend Me, Shape Me" topped the Record World Chart and "Kind of a Drag" by The Buckinghams reached the summit in Record World and Billboard.  For the record, despite decades of comments to the contrary (and no matter how deserving it may have been) "Vehicle" officially peaked at #2.  (Honestly, I believe it blows the other two away ... but those are the facts, Jack ... I mean Ken!)  kk

Fact ... Not Fiction:

According to The WLS Charts (and the reference source of Ron Smith's EXCELLENT book, "Chicago Top 40 Charts, 1960 - 1969", documenting these lists), here is the actual sequence these artists first hit the charts here in Chicagoland back in 1966.  (Note that The New Colony Six actually did it first ... with two weeks to spare, in December of '65 ... and still nine weeks before The Shadows Of Knight first appeared with their smash "Gloria".)  It's also interesting to see that most of these records performed better in Record World Magazine than they did in Billboard ... Record World must have placed a heavier emphasis on what was happening here in The Windy City at the time ... usually the #2 or #3 market in radio.  (National Chart Information courtesy of Joel Whitburn's Comparison Chart Book.)

12/17/65 - The New Colony Six - I Confess  (#2 here in Chicago ... and peaked at #64 nationally in Record World Magazine; #80 in Billboard)

2/18/66 - The Shadows Of Knight - Gloria  (#1 here in Chicago ... and peaked at #6 in Record World Magazine; #10 in Billboard)

3/25/66 - The Buckinghams - I'll Go Crazy  (#19 here in Chicago, "bubbled under" nationally)

3/25/66 - The New Colony Six - I Lie Awake  (#19 here in Chicago on WCFL; #20 on WLS; #97 in Record World'; #111 in Billboard)

5/20/66 - The Shadows Of Knight - Oh Yeah  (#13 in Chicago; #39 in Billboard)

5/27/66 - The Ides Of March - You Wouldn't Listen  (#7 in Chicago; #41 in Record World; #42 in Billboard)

6/3/66 - The Buckinghams - I Call Your Name  (#14 in Chicago; "bubbled under" nationally)

7/1/66 - The Cryan' Shames - Sugar And Spice (#4 in Chicago; #39 in Record World; #49 in Billboard))

7/1/66 - The New Colony Six - Cadillac  (#27 in Chicago; "bubbled under" nationally)

8/19/66 - The Buckinghams - I've Been Wrong  (#13 in Chicago; "bubbled under" nationally)

8/26/66 - The Ides Of March - Roller Coaster  (#19 in Chicago; #92 in Billboard)

8/26/66 - The Shadows Of Knight - Bad Little Woman  (#19 in Chicago; #88 in Record World; #91 in Billboard)

10/21/66 - The Cryan' Shames - I Wanna Meet You  (#6 in Chicago; #62 in Record World; ##85 in Billboard))

11/11/66 - The Shadows Of Knight - I'm Gonna Make You Mine  (#25 in Chicago; #90 in Billboard)

11/18/66 - The Buckinghams - Kind Of A Drag  (#2 in Chicago, #1 in Billboard and Record World)

12/16/66 - The New Colony Six - Love You So Much  (#2 in Chicago; #55 in Cash Box and Record World; #61 in Billboard)

The American Breed didn't chart with their first hit until 1967.