The Friday Flash

Kent, 
I didn't know about Bowie's pot bust until I saw his mug shot on your site. 
Goddamn if the guy could EVER take a bad pic - even his mug shot is cool!  How many arrested celebs can say that?  Would love to frame it. 
Ed Pond

Thanks for the mention of my book "Eight Days A Week:  Births, Deaths And Events Each Day In Oldies History.  I appreciate it.  However, even I will admit that it's better to buy the newly-updated Kindle and Nook versions (including the death of Natalie Cole) as opposed to the 4 1/2 year-old printed book.
-- Ron Smith
Happy to pass THIS along, too!  I have referenced your book more times than I can count ... and since it's typically always a look back, the updated version hasn't really become a necessity for me yet ... but I would like to eventually get as current as I can.  (Since I do most of my reading in the bathroom, I'm not sure the Kindle version is an option for me.)  I will say, however, that your book has become an invaluable reference for a new project I'm knee-deep into right now ... the fruits of which will hopefully come to light next year by way of a brand new, exhaustive series!!!  Thanks, Ron!  (kk)
http://www.amazon.com/Eight-Days-Week-Births-History-ebook/dp/B005FNGHQI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1453080388&sr=1-1&keywords=ron+smith+eight+days+a+week
 
I love stuff like the Sweet 16 Rolling Stones countdown, the salute to the musical events of January 15th and the great videos posted on Sunday.  
That was fun. I am in awe of the voices that Jay Black and Dean Ford still have. I have never been able to sing but I used to think that people that could were really lucky. But I also thought that if you could sing, you would always be able to sing. It hadn't occurred to me that just like anything else, age takes a toll. But these two guys contradict that. Thank you, Kent, I really enjoyed all of those videos.

Stacee

Not everybody is blessed with retaining their unique singing voice in older age ... we've seen it both ways.  (In fact, scroll back to Wednesday's edition of Forgotten Hits when we address that very issue with our tribute to Allan Clarke, Graham Nash and The Hollies!  And see Charlie's and Sandy's emails below.  When a 70+ year old Jay Black can still belt out a tune like this ... or Dean Ford can come back out of nowhere and sing a letter-perfect rendition of "Reflections Of My Life", it REALLY makes you appreciate those who have taken care of their voices ... their "instruments" ... over the years.  Again, check out Burton Cummings in concert to see EXACTLY what I mean.)  kk    

Hola Kent, 

Does this ring a bell? I referenced Jay Black's amazing rendition of his hit "Cara Mia" on PBS last April and now you insert a clip into your blog!!!   

I have that same clip on my iPhone, along with the Pulp Fiction dance scene to Chuck Berry's "You Never Can Tell", the dance scene from Lone Star featuring the Spanish rendition of "Since I Met You Baby' and several other memorable musical moments form movies and concerts and TV specials. 

I know I've mentioned this before, but we are so very fortunate to be able to have today's technology to capture and keep and carry around with us many  precious memories from our lives. 

Perhaps Forgotten Hits is a misnomer! it should be, with apologies to Nat King Cole, Unforgettable Hits. 

Cheers, 

CharlieOFD  

We've run that Jay Black clip numerous times before in Forgotten Hits ... it sure is a powerful moment of a much older Jay Black proving that he can still belt out those notes with complete authority all these years later ... certainly one of my favorites from all the PBS specials.  (Another more recent clip is The Vogues singing "Turn Around, Look At Me" in PERFECT harmony from a few years ago.)  It's amazing how some of these artists can retain every nuance of what they had way back when and still pull it out of a hat today.  Again, this is just another reason why a Burton Cummings concert is such a thrill to attend.  Kudos to all that can.  (kk)   

Thanks, Kent.  I really liked the "Reflections of My Life" video.  I remember the original from way back when. It brought back some fond memories and how meaningful to see it today. Enjoyed it!
Sandy
I have ALWAYS loved this song ... but this new, stripped down version is just so incredibly powerful ... another case where left is more.  A VERY moving performance.  (kk)

Another guy who can do that is Lou Christie ... 
Here's some Lou Christie news ...

http://www.nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2016/01/lou_christie_lightnin_strikes_1.html 

Kent ...

If you read this article, you won't have to do a "Bobby Rydell Series."
http://vintagebandstand.blogspot.com/2016/01/interview-with-singer-bobby-rydell-i.html?m=1Frank B.

Everything I've EVER heard paints Bobby Rydell out to be one of the nicest and most appreciative guys in show business ... he got lumped into that whole "pretty boy / teen idol" craze while Elvis was away in the army ... but the guy really could sing ... and racked up 19 Top 40 Hits during a five year period.  The biggest?  "Wild One" (#2, 1960); "We Got Love" (#2, 1959); "Volare" (#4, 1960); "Forget Him" (#4, 1964) and "Swingin' School" (#5, 1960).  My personal favorite?  I just LOVE the way he does "Sway", a #12 hit in 1960.  (kk)
 

Hey Kent,
I found this video of David Gates on Glen Campbell's TV show. It's great to hear the two of them harmonize the hits of Bread and David's solo albums. I never saw it when it was broadcast back then, but glad it's here on Youtube. Enjoy!
- John LaPuzza
Nope, I don't remember this one either ... but it IS kinda cool to see these two guys running thru their Bread hits-medley!  (kk)



And Glen saluting his short-lived gig with The Beach Boys, too!  (kk)

FH Reader Tom Cuddy tells us about a Rock and Roll Hall of Famers tour coming up this summer ... and yes, Chicago IS one of the stops ... more details below ...     

NEW YORK (AP) — Three Rock and Roll Hall of Famers are joining forces for an all-star tour this summer. 
Live Nation announced Thursday that Heart, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts and Cheap Trick are part of the "Three For All Tour." It kicks off July 14 in Clarkston, Michigan. 
Tickets for the general public go on sale Jan. 22. 
The tour includes 30-plus shows and will visit Los Angeles; San Francisco; Chicago; Dallas; and Nashville. The tour wraps up Sept. 23 in West Palm Beach, Florida. 
Heart and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts made it into the Rock Hall in 2013 and 2015, respectively. Cheap Trick will be inducted at this year's ceremony on April 8 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Other 2016 inductees include N.W.A., Chicago, Deep Purple and Steve Miller.

Joel Whitburn has updated his Top Ten Pop Hits books to now include every Billboard Top Ten Chart from 1940 through 2015!  That's 70+ years of America's Biggest Hits.  More information below ...

See portions from reduced pages below.        Actual page size is 8.5" x 11".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Complete ordering information can be found on The Record Research Website now ... including a special discount offer.  (And stay tuned ... we just may have a copy to give away to a lucky Forgotten Hits Reader!)  kk

https://www.recordresearch.com/billboard_chart_collections/americas_greatest_hits_top_10_charts_1940-2015.php

 

Kent ...

You might want to add this to Ron Smith's Jerry Dwyer death notice.  I figure, if you can't beat em, join em.
Frank B.

 

Ron Smith's Jerry Dwyer death notice:  

 

Jerry Dwyer, owner of the plane in which Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper perished in 1959, has died. He passed away at a Mason City, Iowa, hospice center at the age of 85. Jerry owned the Dwyer Flying Service that was chartered to fly the three musicians from Mason City to Fargo, North Dakota, on February 3 of that year after a performance at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa. The Beechcraft Bonanza crashed a short time after takeoff.

 

Frank B's article referenced above:  

 

CLEAR LAKE - The author of a new book about Buddy Holly has challenged the owners of the plane in which Holly died to produce the wreckage. 

Gary W. Moore, author of the book, "Hey Buddy," said Jerry and Barb Dwyer of Clear Lake should allow experts to look at the wreckage of the Beech Bonanza in order to finally quell rumors about how the crash happened. 

The accident killed Holly, J.P. "Big Bopper" Richardson and Ritchie Valens, on Feb. 3, 1959, following their appearance at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake. Pilot Roger Peterson also died in the crash. 

Moore writes that Barb Dwyer told him that the real truth about the crash will be revealed in a book Jerry Dwyer is writing about the crash. 

When contacted, Barb Dwyer declined to discuss Moore's book or his recounting of their conversation, other than to say that Moore is just one of scores of authors who contact the Dwyers when writing books. 

She confirmed that Jerry Dwyer was writing a book to clarify events related to that now-infamous night. 

Moore will be on hand for book signings this weekend, during the annual Winter Dance Party event at Clear Lake. 

During his own investigation, Moore - a pilot and former charter service owner - said he worked with a friend, a retired National Transportation Safety Board expert, to evaluate the crash. 

"But if Jerry knows something else ... if there is proof in the wreckage (of another cause), that's important" for Peterson's family to know, said Moore.  

The final determination by the Civil Aeronautics Board in 1959 said the crash was caused by pilot error. 

Moore challenges other long-held beliefs about Holly. For instance, he does not believe that Holly telephoned his wife, Maria Elena, before he left the Surf that night. A telephone booth at the Surf stands in memorial to that last conversation. 

"I can't find anything that says that really happened," he said.   

Both he and his friend came to the same conclusion: An inexperienced pilot, a high-performance aircraft and bad weather combined to cause the crash, Moore said.

Moore's book is not a biography of Holly, but rather about his own journey to know Holly and his music. 

Moore never knew much about the Texas rock ‘n roller until recent years, when he first saw Holly impersonator John Mueller perform. The book outlines his quest, his research and the relationships established with people who knew Holly's music, or had met Holly.   

Of interest to some might be Moore's interview with musician Don McLean, whose mega-hit, "American Pie" introduced the phrase, "the day the music died" and its reference to Holly's death. McLean performed in 1994 at the Surf.   

McLean claims, according to Moore, that Buddy Holly's fame faded quickly following his death, but that McLean's song brought Holly back into the public's consciousness. 

"Because of 'American Pie,' Buddy is back where he should be," McLean was said to have told Moore.  

As Forgotten Hits Readers already know, L.J. Coon has been petitioning the NTSB to reopen the investigation into the circumstances of the crash for over a year now.  We recently ran his open letter of appeal to all of the presidential candidates to do the same.  The plane still exists and with today's technology, perhaps more insight could be gained by doing a new, thorough investigation using the resources available to us now.  Although our story lit the fuse for both national and international coverage, the NTSB decided that there was still not enough sufficient evidence to warrant reopening the case and declared it resolved "as is".  (Maybe what Coon needs to do is film a ten hour documentary in the style of "Making A Murderer" to get the real attention he needs to move forward with a new investigation!)  kk

And, speaking of great clips ...

HELPING OUT OUR READERS:

We've run this request before but apparently to no response ... so we're giving it another shot today ...

Hi, Kent and the FH gang -  

My friend Darrell, who doesn't have online access, is very interested in possibly obtaining ANY TV appearances, record promos, or recorded concerts with The Drifters, from their formation in 1953 to early 1964 (when they lost Rudy Lewis).  I know I asked about this last year, my apologies, but  I thought I would put it out there one last time in case someone missed it!  I also know that if any of this exists,  it's pretty rare, but any info - or leads - is greatly appreciated.  

Please E-mail information to Bob Rashkow at puffwaldo.tardo@gmail.com if you know anything about this.  And thanks again!  

Bob

Graham Nash ... Wild Tales

I will admit to always being a little bit suspicious when reading the self-penned biography of a rock star known for his exorbitant amount of drug use ... so I approached Graham Nash's biography "Wild Tales" with at least one somewhat skeptical eye open. 

However, Nash is such a GREAT storyteller ... as evidenced by his appearance at The Arcada Theatre last summer as part of a very brief US Tour, that I just couldn't resist hearing these tales in his own words. 

The stories behind many of his most famous songs are recounted in nearly identical fashion both from the stage and between these pages ... but the inspiration behind some of his finest work ... "Our House", "Just A Song Before I Go", "Wasted On The Way", "Immigration Man" and countless others is just SO fascinating that they're worth repeating again and again. 

Nash starts at the beginning ... his humble roots ... his father going off to serve time in prison for (it turns out) a crime he didn't actually commit ... meeting Allan Clarke in grade school and forging along a lifetime friendship, even through some of the roughest times after Graham's departure from The Hollies ... 

Meeting The Everly Brothers on the steps of The Midland Hotel in 1958 after their show at The Free Trade Hall ... and then serving as their back-up band when The Everlys recorded "Two Yanks In England" in 1966 (including several songs written by The Hollies themselves!) 

We're taken through The Hollies' skyrocketing fame ... to Graham eventually leaving the band because he wanted to continue to expand the band's musical horizons while they seem content to just record an album's worth of Chuck Berry covers instead.  (Once The Hollies turned down Graham's "Marrakesh Express", it was all over ... Nash moved to America, teamed up with David Crosby of The Byrds and Stephen Stills of Buffalo Springfield and the rest, as they say, is history.) 

It was a colorful union ... (credit Mama Cass and Peter Tork for being instrumental in their initial meeting) ... massive drug use but an incredible and immediate following.  (Their second gig was Woodstock!!!)  Crosby comes across as the most psychotic and drug-dependent ... there where times when he was taking enough drugs on a daily basis to kill THREE men ... yet somehow he still managed to survive.  The portrait painted of Stephen Stills isn't very flattering either ... Nash relates some of their less-pleasurable experiences together such as the time Stills once spit on him when he professed is love for a common love interest ... and on another occasion slashed Graham's master tapes when things didn't go Stephen's way.  One truly cannot wonder how the two of them can even speak to each other today, much yet spend extended time together on the road making music.  The mystery of Neil Young seems to be the strongest attraction between the two ... you just never know which Neil you're going to get ... which apparently is all part of the appeal of the whole Neil Young experience. 

Lots of interesting tidbits can be found throughout.  (Yesterday we told you about the circumstances surrounding The Hollies' induction into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame) ... Graham's love affairs with Joni Mitchell and Rita Coolidge make for interesting chapters in his life and his unflinching love for his wife Susan, who's also the mother of his three children, is heartwarming.  (Susan once told him "I'm giving you ten years ... at the end of ten years, if I still like you, I'll stay."  Imagine living life under THAT kind of pressure!!!  lol  She did ... and she and Graham renewed their vows when Crosby wed his long-time love Jan.) 

The photo used on the original Crosby, Stills and Nash album also has an interesting story behind it.  The group found an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere and posed for the cover shot on the front porch of that house.  When it came time to print the album, they realized that the title on the album ... Crosby, Stills and Nash ... didn't accurately present the photo underneath, which depicted Nash, Stills and Crosby.  Concerned that, being a new band, this might confuse their audience, they returned to the house to retake the photo in the proper seating order, only to find that the house had already been bulldozed to the ground.  (They should have known THEN that they'd have a rocky road ahead of them!)

The book is highly recommended ... thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish and you'll learn something new about our out-of-sorts heroes every step of the way. 

Graham Nash's contributions to the CSNY catalog have always been my favorites ... and it has been HIS solo albums that I've also added to my personal collection ... so it was nice to hear their story told from his perspective.  (Honestly, I'm not sure the others could have done as thorough a job.)  I'm sure there were some hard feelings along the way ... but the lesson learned in all of this seems to be that Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young all recognize the fact that they are strongest together when the chemistry is right than as any other entity.  No matter what else may get in the way in their personal battles ... and no matter how difficult the roads may have been along the way ... they're still up for the challenge to see if they can recreate the magic one more time.  And invariably they do. 

In his end credits and acknowledgements Nash writes: 

"To David Crosby, my partner and great friend, and his wife Jan.  I may have been brutally honest in my descriptions of them in their past, but I'm delighted to tell you that they both came out of the darkness and into the light in a big, big way." 

"To Stephen Stills, one of the finest musicians in the world; my compadre who has a great a great heart and soul" 

"To Neil Young, the strangest of my friends.  He remains true to himself, his family and his music." 

As we've all learned during our own journeys through life, you can't change what the heart wants.  For better or for worse ... and for everything in between ... Crosby, Stills and Nash ... and sometimes Young ... belong together.  (kk)

http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Tales-Rock-Roll-Life/dp/0385347561/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1453084706&sr=1-1&keywords=graham+nash

A Salute To The Hollies

I just finished reading Graham Nash's biography "Wild Tales" ... what a GREAT read this is!  Highly recommended!
(You can order a copy here:  http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Tales-Rock-Roll-Life/dp/0385347561/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1453071018&sr=1-1&keywords=graham+nash)

After seeing Graham's show at The Arcada Theatre last year  (review here:  http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2015/07/graham-nash.html) I couldn't wait to dive into his biography.  Graham is such a great story-teller on stage, I could only imagine how much more vivid those stories might be within the context of a book without any time or length restraints.  (Plus Frannie got an autographed copy of the book!) 

More on the book tomorrow ... 

But first I just HAD to share this story with you of what happened behind the scenes when The Hollies were FINALLY inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2010.  (Like so many others, they were overlooked time and time again ... and often finished near the top of our on-going Deserving And Denied list.  First eligible in 1988, it only took The Rock Hall 22 years to finally get it right!)

I remember there being word going 'round at the time that Allan Clarke's voice was shot ... that he would be unable to perform.  (As usual, The Rock Hall had waited too long to induct an artist with any sense of dignity.)  And The Hollies themselves said that they wouldn't attend as they had a gig that night!!!

What I didn't know (until reading his book) was how Graham Nash sprang into action to save the night and give his former band the chance to receive and enjoy the honor they so rightly deserved.  

Graham tells the story this way ...

Read on ... 

In 2010, my agent phoned and said "You're going to have to make arrangements to go to New York.  The Hollies have been elected to The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame."  I was thrilled -- for Allan and me, for all of us.  I thought the Hollies shoul dhave been in the Hall a long time ago.  I don't know why we didn't make it sooner.  Maybe we weren't cool enough.  It didn't matter.  It was a great honor, even though by that time Allan had left the group due to a problem with his voice.  So I called the rest of the Hollies and said, "Cancel all your plans and come to New York for the ceremony."  I should have known better. They said, in their peculiar north of England way, "Oh, sorry, but we've got a gig that night.  We won't be able to make it."  ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!  "You're not going to come?"  No, they insisted on playing their show.  "You know, you can CANCEL a gig," i said, "and you can rebook it.  It's done all the time."  Nope, nothing doing, they weren't coming.

So I called Allan and asked him to come with me.  I explained how it was an incredible circle that was being closed in our personal relationship.  "And we're going to have to sing two or three songs.  So -- what about your voice?"  He wanted to talk it over with his vocal coach to see if it was feasible.  He got back to me a couple days later.  "My coach said I really can't sing," he explained.  So I suggested we get a couple of my kids' friends from Maroon 5 -- Adam Levine and Jesse Carmichael -- to do the Hollies' parts.  My son knew them from school when they were called Kara's Flowers, and they'd opened for CSN at two benefits we did for the Brentwood School.  I asked Will one day what had happened to the band.  "Ah," he said, "they are packing it in.  They can't make it in this crazy scene.  Instead they'll be dentists and doctors."  This didn't sound right to me because I thought they were talented, so I lent themmoney to make more demos.  A year later they were on top of the charts as Maroon 5.  Go figure.  Got to keep it all moving forward.

"You just have to be present," I told Allan on the phone.  After all, he and I WERE the HOllies, which we'd started in 1962.  So Allan finally agreed.  I knew they'd want us to sing "Long Cool Woman," even though that was made after I'd left the band.  Allan thought we should get Pat MOnahan from Train to sing the lead, which we did.  A good idea.

Everything was on track.  Allan came to New York.  I met him at the Waldorf Astoria, got a suite for his wife, Jeni, and him and their son Toby with flowers, water, the works.  A couuple days before the ceremony, we rehearsed with Paul Shaffer and his band.  They wanted us to do "Carrie Anne", "Bus Stop" and "Long Cool WOman."  Perfect.  Allan watched a lot of the rehearsal from the fringe of the stage, looking and listening ... and fidgeting.  I could tell he wanted to get into it.  When we got to the choruses, Adam, Jesse and Pat were right there.  Everything was fine.  But I could see Allan start edging toward us.  Eventualy he sang a line here ... a line there ... Now Allan wrote "Long Cool Woman" with Roger Greenaway and Roger Cook, and that's him on guitar on the record.  It's HIS song.  Pat was doing a great job on the vocal, but now Allan, unable to contain himself any longer, took over.  And he ended up singing all three songs in GREAT voice.  He KICKED ASS that night.  The two of us, in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.  For me, it was a dream come true.  Many dreams come true, in fact, because with the Hollies' induction, every member of CSNY was in the Rock Hall TWICE, the only band to ever hold that distinction.

Enjoy this look back at The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony of The Hollies ... great memories ... and the live performance of all three tracks mentioned above.  (kk)

Forgotten Hits Remembers GLENN FREY

When The Eagles asked to postpone their Kennedy Center Honors last year due to Glenn Frey's health conditions, the hope was he would be able to go through the "major surgery and lengthy recovery period" necessary to return to form and be so honored in 2016.  He was evidently in worse medical condition than any of us released ... and passed away yesterday from "complications from Rheumatoid Arthritis, Acute Ulcerative Colitis and Pneumonia" according to the statement released by the band on their website.  

Frey co-founded The Eagles with Drummer Don Henley when both were still members of Linda Ronstadt's back-up band, which also included Randy Meiser, an original member of Poco and bassist for Rick Nelson's Stone Canyon Band and Bernie Leadon, late of The Flying Burrito Brothers.  Those four players formed the nucleus of what the world would come to know as The Eagles.  

I'll never forget seeing Ronstadt when she opened for Blood, Sweat and Tears here in Chicago in 1971 and she set aside a portion of her show to allow her back-up band to share the spotlight with her and perform a couple of songs they had just recorded for their first album.  That night they played "Take It Easy" and "Witchy Woman" and I remember making a mental note, "I'll have to keep an eye out for these guys."  Trooper that she was, Linda wished them well in their upcoming pursuit of success knowing full well that she'd now be tasked with finding their replacements.  (She also recorded a version of the first song that Frey and Henley ever wrote together, "Desperado", a track never released as an Eagles single but one of their best known songs nevertheless.)  

Both of the songs I heard that fateful night in 1971 went on to become Top Ten Hits for The Eagles in 1972.  ("Take It Easy" peaked at #6 and "Witchy Woman" at #8.)  More hits followed ... fifteen Top 40 Hits in all before the band called it quits in 1980 and Henley and Frey pursued solo careers.  (See The Eagles Hit List at the end of today's posting)  

The popularity of the group seemed to grow with each new album release ... as did their abilities as songwriters and song-crafters.  The line-up changed from time to time ... Meisner and Leadon were eventually replaced by Don Felder, Timothy B. Schmit and Joe Walsh ... and then, years later by a cast of side musicians once Felder was ousted from the band.  (Schmit and Walsh, along with Henley and Frey, became the "core" members of The Eagles.)  

It was a bitter break-up in 1980 that prompted Frey to declare that The Eagles would perform together again "when hell freezes over" ... so when they decided to regroup in 1994 to release a mini-album of new material it was apropos that they called their reunion tour the "Hell Freezes Over" tour.  

The timing couldn't have been better ... Classic Rock Radio had just been born and the music of The Eagles was all over the airwaves.  (The Eagles' first Greatest Hits Album, 1971 - 1975, has been certified platinum 29 times over ... and continually ranks as the #1 best selling album of all-time, alternating that position with Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album on a regular basis.)  Although only a couple of their new songs charted with any significance ("Get Over It", #31, 1994 and "Love Will Keep Us Alive", #22, 1995), their Hell Freezes Over Tour, their Eagles Reunion Tour and their History Of The Eagles Tour kept the band on the road for the majority of the next 21 years.  

Without question, second to The Beatles, The Eagles were the most important band in my life ... I devoured their music and was fortunate enough to see them perform half a dozen times ... never a cheap ticket ... but ALWAYS a breath-taking performance.  They were often criticized for reproducing their best-known songs note-for-note on stage ... but to my appreciative ears, that just paid even higher praise for their ability to do so.  

When the band first split, Frey hit the charts quickly and often with hits like "I Found Somebody" (#23, 1982); "The One You Love" (#12, 1982); "All Those Lies" (#37, 1983); "Sexy Girl" (#20, 1984); "The Heat Is On" (from the Eddie Murphy film "Beverly Hills Cop" ... and also my cell phone ringtone ... #2, 1985); "Smuggler's Blues" (#12, 1985); "You Belong To The City" (#2, 1985) and "True Love" (#13, 1988).  Frey even took a stab at acting, doing a couple of TV spots, most notably on "Miami Vice" which featured his hits "Smuggler's Blues" and "You Belong To The City" prominently on their television soundtrack.  He was in the best shape of his life at the time ... buff, clearly working out to almost Joe Piscopo proportions.  

Rumors of health issues have plagued him for years.  In fact, many said at the time of The Eagles reunion in 1994 it was because Frey had cancer and they wanted to go around one more time while Frey was still able to do so.  (No substantiation of this ever materialized to the best of my knowledge ... although more health facts may come to light now due to his passing ... but I remember it being a widely-circulated rumor at the time.)  

If you haven't already seen it, be sure to check out the three hour "History of the Eagles" documentary put together by Showtime a few years ago and now available for home purchase on DVD and BluRay.  It's an AMAZING story of an AMAZING band ... TONS of vintage footage and plenty of "no pulled punches" interviews with the various members of The Eagles over the years.  On it, Frey comes across as the defacto leader of the group ... as well as the biggest asshole ... but he knew what he wanted ... and he went out and got it.  As lifelong partner Don Henley stated after news of his death went public, "Rest in peace, my brother. You did what you set out to do, and then some."  

Other "Rock And Roll Brothers" in Frey's life would have to include Jackson Browne (with whom he wrote The Eagles' first hit "Take It Easy", J.D. Souther, a friend and frequent songwriting partner and Bob Seger, dating back to Frey's Detroit days.  (Listen closely and you can hear Glenn Frey singing background vocals on Seger's first big pop hit, "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man".)  

This has been a rough week for rock and roll.  First David Bowie ... then Gary Loizzo of The American Breed ... and now Glenn Frey of The Eagles ... all big contributors to the soundtrack of our lives.  A sad way to begin 2016 ... but another reminder to appreciate this music while we have the chance to do so.  

kk

Kent Kotal

Forgotten Hits

Here's the official Billboard Magazine report on Glenn Frey's death ...  

Glenn Frey, a founding member and guitarist of the Eagles, one of the most popular and commercially successful artists of the 1970s, has died. The band confirmed the news on Monday (Jan. 18) with a statement on its website.  

"Glenn fought a courageous battle for the past several weeks but, sadly, succumbed to complications from Rheumatoid Arthritis, Acute Ulcerative Colitis and Pneumonia," read the statement. "Words can neither describe our sorrow, nor our love and respect for all that he has given to us, his family, the music community and millions of fans worldwide."  

Frey had been battling intestinal issues that caused the band to postpone its Kennedy Center Honors. A statement from the band said then the recurring problem would require "major surgery and a lengthy recovery period."

Eagles drummer and vocalist Don Henley issued the following statement:  

"He was like a brother to me; we were family, and like most families, there was some dysfunction. But, the bond we forged 45 years ago was never broken, even during the 14 years that the Eagles were dissolved. We were two young men who made the pilgrimage to Los Angeles with the same dream: to make our mark in the music industry -- and with perseverance, a deep love of music, our alliance with other great musicians and our manager, Irving Azoff, we built something that has lasted longer than anyone could have dreamed. But, Glenn was the one who started it all. He was the spark plug, the man with the plan. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of popular music and a work ethic that wouldn't quit. He was funny, bullheaded, mercurial, generous, deeply talented and driven. He loved his wife and kids more than anything. We are all in a state of shock, disbelief and profound sorrow. We brought our two-year 'History of the Eagles Tour' to a triumphant close at the end of July and now he is gone. I'm not sure I believe in fate, but I know that crossing paths with Glenn Lewis Frey in 1970 changed my life forever, and it eventually had an impact on the lives of millions of other people all over the planet. It will be very strange going forward in a world without him in it. But, I will be grateful, every day, that he was in my life. Rest in peace, my brother. You did what you set out to do, and then some."  

Frey was born on November 6, 1948 in Detroit, and grew up in nearby Royal Oak. He grew up on both the Motown sounds and harder-edged rock of his hometown. He played in a succession of local bands in the city and first connected with Bob Seger when Frey's band, the Mushrooms, convinced Seger to write a song for them. Frey can also be heard singing extremely loud backing vocals (particularly on the first chorus) on Seger's first hit and Frey's first recorded appearance, 1968's "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man."  

But it wasn't long before warmer climes called and Frey followed then-girlfriend Joan Silwin to Los Angeles. Her sister Alexandra was a member of Honey, Ltd., a girl group associated with Nancy Sinatra producer Lee Hazelwood, and she introduced Frey to her friend John David Souther.

It was a portentous introduction. Before long the two were living as roommates in East L.A. with another aspiring songwriter named Jackson Browne. All three quickly became deeply involved in the burgeoning L.A. country-rock scene centered around the Troubadour nightclub that started with the Byrds, proliferated with Gram Parsons and the Flying Burrito Brothers and would, in softer form, dominate American airwaves for the bulk of the 1970s. But first Frey and Souther would pay their dues as an unsuccessful duo, Longbranch Pennywhistle. The pair released a self-titled album on the short-lived indie Amos Records in 1969, but soon split up.  

In 1971, fellow future country-rock superstar Linda Ronstadt was seeking a backing band and, on the advice of Souther, her boyfriend, hired Frey along with drummer Don Henley, ex-Poco bassist Randy Meisner and former Burritos guitarist Bernie Leadon. The band gelled so well that they broke off on their own after completing the tour and became one of the early artists signed to David Geffen's then-new label, Asylum. The group was an instant success, riding on the back of its first single, "Take It Easy" -- a song written almost entirely by Jackson Browne, with some lyrics added by Frey. 

Via a long string of mid '70s hits like "Peaceful Easy Feeling," "Desperado," "Tequila Sunrise," "Best of My Love" (No. 1, March, 1975) "Witchy Woman", the funkier "One of These Nights" (No. 1, August, 1975) and the harder-edged "Already Gone" (many written by band members in collaboration with Souther), the Eagles became the standard-bearers -- and Asylum Records became the epicenter -- of the California soft-rock explosion. Guitarist Don Felder filled out the band's sound in 1974, and after Leadon left the following year, guitarist Joe Walsh joined – beefing up the band's sound and lofting them to even greater heights with the 1976 "Hotel California" album, which spawned No. 1 singles with the title track and Frey's "New Kid in Town," possibly his defining song. Along with Fleetwood Mac's Rumors, those albums defined the denim, drugs and decadence of the jet-setting late '70s California rock scene. 

But drugs, egos and success soon took their toll, and it was some three years before the Eagles released a follow-up album with The Long Run. Spurred by the Hot 100 No. 1 single "Heartache Tonight," the album was a commercial success -- and helped bring the music industry out of a post-disco sales tailspin -- but the band succumbed to infighting and split in 1980. 

Frey embarked on a successful solo career, enjoying a series of '80s hits, the biggest of which were tied to soundtracks like Beverly Hills Cop ("The Heat Is On") and Miami Vice ("You Belong to the City"). 

But the Eagles' solo hits began to dry up in the 1990s, ad before long a reunion tour was masterminded by Irving Azoff, the group's longtime manager. The tour's title mocked the acrimony with which the group split up: "Hell Freezes Over." The group continued to tour periodically -- and lucratively -- over the past two decades, releasing just scattered new material and focusing on solo works. In 2012, Frey released his first solo album since the 1990s, a collection of pop standards called After Hours. 

While the Eagles were reviled as much as they were revered during their heyday, there's no questioning the enduring quality of their hits or the freshness of their sound, particularly the keening harmonies of Henley, Frey and Meisner. But more lasting may be its success:  For years the group's 1976 collection Their Greatest Hits 1971-75 regularly swapped places with Michael Jackson's Thriller as the top-selling album of all time -- and has been certified a whopping 29 times platinum by the RIAA. 

Discussing the superb 2013 History of the Eagles, Part 1 documentary with Billboard, Frey said: "You couldn't have asked for a better script for a bunch of guys in their 20s trying to make it into the music business. We were young, we made mistakes, we still make mistakes. It's the story of an American band, but it's also the story of the songs we wrote and what those songs did to [people]. We're here because everybody likes the songs."

Ron Smith's oldiesmusic.com website reports it this way ...

Glenn Frey, guitarist, songwriter and vocalist with the Eagles, died Monday (January 18) a month after his health sidelined the group from receiving Kennedy Center Honors. He was 67. 

The cause of death was attributed to Rheumatoid Arthritis, Acute Ulcerative Colitis and Pneumonia. 

Born in Detroit, he worked in several local bands and even sang and played on Bob Seger's recording of "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man", which led to his move to Los Angeles. There he worked with J.D. Souther and met Randy Meisner, Bernie Leadon and Don Henley, who eventually were hired as Linda Ronstadt's touring backup band. In 1971, they formed the Eagles and their success rivaled even Linda's, with hit singles like "Take It Easy" (#12 - 1972), "Lyin' Eyes" (#2 - 1975) - both with Glenn on lead and five #1 hits - "Best Of My Love" (1975), "One Of These Nights" (1975), "New Kid In Town" (1976) - again with Glenn on lead, "Hotel California" (1977) and "Heartache Tonight" (1979). 

The group broke up in 1980 and Glenn went on to a successful solo career, with recordings like "The One That You Love" (#15 - 1982), "You Belong To The City" (#2 - 1985) and "The Heat Is On" (#2 - 1985). As an actor, he had a recurring role in the NBC-TV series, "Miami Vice" and appeared on the series "Wiseguy" and "South Of Sunset," as well as the movie, "Jerry McGuire". 

The Eagles reunited in 1994 (the album was humorously entitled "Hell Freezes Over") and continued to tour to record-breaking crowds. They were inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001 and their first Greatest Hits album was honored as the Best Selling Album of the Century in 1999.

THE EAGLES TOP 50 HIT LIST  

(National Peak shown for each entry)

1972 -   Take It Easy - #6

             Witchy Woman - #8

1973 -   Peaceful Easy Feeling (#18)

           ABOVE THREE FROM "THE EAGLES", THEIR FIRST  ALBUM

            Tequila Sunrise (#40)

            Outlaw Man (#49)

          ABOVE TWO FROM "DESPERADO"

1974 -  Already Gone  (#17)

            James Dean  (#49)

             Best Of My Love ( #1)

          ABOVE THREE FROM "ON THE BORDER"

1975 -  One Of These Nights  (#1)

            Lyin' Eyes  (#2)

1976 -  Take It To The Limit  (#4)

           ABOVE THREE FROM "ONE OF THESE NIGHTS"

1977 -   New Kid In Town  (#1)

            Hotel California  (#1)

            Life In The Fast Lane  (#11)

            ABOVE THREE FROM "HOTEL CALIFORNIA", ONE OF THE BIGGEST SELLING ALBUMS OF ALL TIME ... AND THE #1 ALBUM IN AMERICA 39 YEARS AGO TODAY

1978 -  Please Come Home For Christmas  (#18)

          SPECIAL SEASONAL SINGLE THAT GETS MASSIVE HOLIDAY AIRPLAY EVERY YEAR SINCE 1978

1979 -   Heartache Tonight  (#1)

1980 -   The Long Run  (#4)

            I Can't Tell You Why  (#7)

            ABOVE THREE FROM "THE LONG RUN"

1981 -   Seven Bridges Road  (#21)

           FROM "THE EAGLES LIVE" DOUBLE ALBUM ... RELEASED IN THE HOPES THAT THE BAND WOULD RESOLVE THEIR DIFFERENCES AND BEGIN WORK ON A NEW LP ... IT WASN'T TO BE

1994 -    Get Over It  (#31)

1995 -    Love Will Keep Us Alive  (#22)

            ABOVE TWO FROM "HELL FREEZES OVER"