THURSDAY THIS AND THAT

Me-TV-FM’s got an interesting weekend planned …

Beginning at 7:00 pm on Friday, they’ll be kicking off their first ever “Lost ‘70s Weekend.”

Long time veteran radio industry expert Sean Ross has written a popular series of blogs on songs that were once big hits but are seldom heard on the radio anymore. He’s even come up with a mathematical formula, the "Lost Factor," in which he’s able to rank songs from specific decades on how “lost” they are on radio today by factoring in: a) how popular they were in their year of release in that year’s Billboard Top 100; and b) how few spins they get on radio today.

This coming weekend, Me-TV-FM will be playing selections from his “100 Most Lost Songs of the ‘70s” ranking. (By the way, you can follow Sean on Twitter at @RossonRadio.)

Before that, they’ll also be celebrating a couple of important birthdays by featuring all day birthday salutes to Barry Manilow on Thursday (today!) and Paul McCartney on Friday (tomorrow!)

The best place to listen is still the Milwaukee stream, accessible here:

https://www.audacy.com/metvfmmke/listen#.W6oi2vZRfcs

And don’t forget … you can listen to the new HISTORY OF ROCK ‘n’ ROLL feature here in Chicago on Me-TV-FM, 87.7 FM, from 7-9 am on Saturday and from 10 pm – Midnight on Sunday … soon to also be streaming on the Milwaukee feed.  (kk)

[I will say this … after reviewing Ross’ list, kudos once again to Me-TV-FM for “unlosting” a good number of these hits.  I’d say that at least 40% of these tunes are part of their regular rotation and perhaps another dozen get a spin every now and then.  The others simply don’t fit their “soft rock oldies” format … I don’t think you’re gonna hear “Dynomite!,” “My Ding-A-Ling,” “Scorpio” or the Frijid Pink version of “House Of The Rising Sun” anytime soon on Me-TV-FM … no matter HOW long you listen!!! – kk]

Happy 78th (!) birthday this morning to Barry Manilow.  Makes me feel ancient.  ;-)
Here's a rarity many folks don't know about - the Scott English tune that became one of Barry's earliest and biggest hits.
I've attached the file.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-zhg1BeUkQ

Mike

Because the group Looking Glass had recently had a #1 Hit with a song called “Brandy,” Barry changed the girl’s name to “Mandy” … and went straight to #1 with his first big hit record.  (Scott English’s version, although little known until Manilow pushed it into the spotlight, actually DID chart at #70 in 1972 … the same year as that OTHER song “Brandy”’s success!)

Barry Manilow’s first big release as a solo artist was “Could It Be Magic” … which TOTALLY tanked in 1974.  (It never even charted)  Then after “Mandy” went to #1 … and the follow-up “It’s A Miracle” made The Top Ten, Arista re-released “Could It Be Magic” … and this time it climbed to #6.  (There is a WHOLE big controversy about this song, too.  While Manilow readily admits the music borrowed heavily from a classical piece by Chopin, early pressings showed Tony Orlando as the cowriter of this tune.  When it was rereleased and became a hit, Tony’s name was mysteriously missing from the record label … a point of contention between the two forever more.)

I have to admit to being a BIG Fanilow at the time … saw Barry several times during those first eight years of hits (twenty Top 20’s, thirteen Top 10’s and THREE #1’s) … including the taping at Ravinia of his television special.  (I’ve told the story before about how after the concert had ended and Barry was LONG gone, they had the audience stick around for another two hours so they could film crowd shouts of everybody reacting to how phenomenal Barry was on stage … except it was all “canned” reaction because he was probably already changing into his silk pajamas in his hotel suite by the time we all got out of there!!!)  Still, a  fun night of music and an incredible memory.  (Barry also did a sensational Soundstage show for PBS that I wish I had a pristine copy of … my VHS tape is pretty well worn after nearly fifty years!!!)  kk

[Hard to believe Barry’s going to be 78.  Paul McCartney turns 79 the very next day and was already having chart hits 12 years before Barry! – kk]

Hi there Kent, and FH readers,

Well, over the weekend I started digging even deeper into the history of one of the songs that B. J. Thomas made famous, No Love At All.  As Kent pointed out last Friday, the song was written by Johnny Christopher and Wayne Carson.  It was actually Wayne Carson that first recorded the song back in February of 1970, but I don't think it charted.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyyc65j_iD4

Then, in April of 1970, Lynn Anderson recorded the song, which was released in June of that year, and it was a major hit on the Billboard country charts.  In fact, No Love At All was the name of the album that she recorded the song on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3BZKSEoZ8A

The same month, a man named John Rowles (who I must admit I know nothing

About) also recorded the song as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRiDhuOZJLM

So, I have to correct my statement from last week that George McCannon III recorded the original version of the song, No Love At All.  It was the first version I ever heard to be sure, living as I did in the Hartford, Connecticut, area at the time, but as it turned out, George McCannon III was at least the fourth person to release the song since it was first released by Wayne Carson in February of 1970.  So, as Paul Harvey would say, now you know, the rest of the story!

Another song that has come up recently is Hooked On A Feeling which B.J. Thomas had a hit with in the summer of 1968.  Then a European group called Blue Swede recorded a very different version of the song in 1974, with a lot of Oo-Ga-Cha-Ga’s in the background.  But surprisingly, they were not the first group to record the song in that manner.  In 1971, Jonathan King, who had a big hit in the fall of 1965 with Everyone's Gone To The Moon which always makes me think of Dan Ingram's classic aircheck during the northeast blackout on November 9, 1965, was the first person to record Hooked On A Feeling With Oo-Ga-Cha-Ga’s in the background. It

was a smash hit in Europe, Holland, Belgium and in the UK as well, but it didn't do a thing here.  But this version of the song was much less impressive than Blue Swede's version.  But clearly, his version gave Blue Swede the idea of how to record the song.  You can listen to Jonathan King's version by going to:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNLo7OzNd_Q

And speaking of Blue Swede, here's a real forgotten hit.  I guess because of the beautiful way that the Association recorded Never My Love, which was released just as the summer of love was winding down, no one ever thinks of this Blue Swede follow up to Hooked On A Feeling which was a hit in the fall of 1974.  It certainly isn't played on oldies stations that I know of anyway, and it gives the song a totally different feel than the Association’s slow, mellow version.  But it was a hit at the time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poowzYmgLEA

Sam Ward

LOTS of great examples here, Sam … thank you.

You’re right about Jonathan King (a very inventive musician) coming up with the whole Ooga-Chugga concept.  Despite being a huge hit throughout Europe, it never even caused a blip here in The States.

As for Blue Swede’s version of “Never My Love,” it’s really quite awful … but released hot on the heels of their #1 Hit “Hooked On A Feeling,” still managed to make a Top Ten showing here in America, ultimately peaking at #6 six months later in 1974.

As for “No Love At All,” I’ll still take B.J. Thomas’ soulful version of any others.  (kk)

And speaking of B.J. Thomas, I just noticed that we’ve mentioned his hit “The Eyes Of A New York Woman” three times now yet still haven’t featured a clip of the song!

So here’s a tv clip from 1968 … not the greatest video quality … but a great version of B.J. lip-synching the song …

Hi Kent,

I noticed the outpouring response continues in regards to the passing of B.J. Thomas by we Forgotten Hits readers.  I guess I am not the only one who keeps thinking of his passing.  His music crossed so many formats -- Top-40, Pop, Country, and Christian.  From a Hank Williams song to Bacharach - David, to a Beach Boys classic and everything in between, he could sing it all.  There's a reason he sold 70-million records! 

You find out in life, fame and fortune doesn't isolate a person from challenges that life presents.  And yet, through it all, B.J. Thomas remained the down-home, genuine person right to the end.  It's always nice when you meet somebody like him and find out he is every bit the nice person you hoped he would be. 

Enclosed is an interview he did with Geraldo Rivera on Good Night America in 1974.  As I said, not even fame and fortune excludes you from the obstacles you can run into in this journey we call life. 

Like Roy Orbison and Elvis, B.J. Thomas had such an identifiable voice and great range and, as with Orbison and Elvis, that occasional operatic tone on certain notes such as on his song "Mama."

Kent, at the risk of repeating myself, thank-you for your coverage of the vast topics you cover in Forgotten Hits ... and the days and hours you put in, year after year, in its publication.  Thank-you for all the work you put into assembling all the information, giving up weekends, getting up early and getting to bed late meeting the deadlines, in contrast to those of us that get to read the fruits of your labor at our convenience.  Reading Forgotten Hits a helluva lot easier, I'm sure, than "piecing the puzzle together" on your end of it.  Again, THANK-YOU!

Respectfully, 

Tim Kiley

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmQgJRbOYO0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egkOkVwAYXI

Thank you again for the kind words and praise … it’s comments like yours that make this whole thing worthwhile.  (Good to know that we sometimes get it right once in a while!  Lol)

This is a great clip.  (OMG, they both look SO young!!!)

I’m not convinced B.J. had kicked his habit by 1974 … I might have to read up a little bit more on that one.  In the case of SO many addicts, they put the image out there that they’re clean but are still deeply addicted behind the scenes.  The idea of B.J. “retiring” for three years doesn’t quite make sense to me either … he had ten chart hits between his two #1 Records (“Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head,” 1969, and “(Hey, Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song” in 1975, six of which made The National Top 40 (although the charts weren’t as kind after “Rock And Roll Lullaby” charted in the Spring of ’72) … perhaps THESE are the three years he’s referring to, since this interview first aired in 1974.  (Also, B.J. missing out on $200,000 worth of concert dates over the course of three weeks is pretty damn impressive … in today’s money, that’d be a little over a million dollars!!!)

Regardless, once he kicked it, he certainly walked away a better, stronger man … to the benefit of ALL of us.  (And certainly an appreciative and reflective one, too.)  I just love his voice and his music … which, fortunately for all of us, never really suffered along the way … and it is so great to see that he touched SO many of us.  I know that I will never get tired of listening to him.  (He’s in my CD player again right now as a matter of fact!  Betcha I played over fifty songs by him these past two days alone … including “Mighty Clouds Of Joy” about six times and “Rock And Roll Lullaby” about four!!!)  kk

And since we can’t seem to EVER mention B.J. Thomas without mentioning Elvis, too, here is a GREAT clip sent in by Frank B …

Jerry Weintraub: Elvis, a Million-Dollar Check, and Me (Nov. 10, 1998) | Charlie Rose – YouTube

kk …

Elvis made Jerry a millionaire .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epwwGp2AA8k

FB

Hello Music Lovers:  

It's a big evening of rock and soul on TCM TV channel this Saturday: Otis Redding and Jimi Hendrix as well as Thelonious Monk. 

"Shake!: Otis at Monterey!" and "Jimi Hendrix" are scheduled for broadcast. 

My brother Kenneth and I wrote "A Perfect Haze: The Illustrated History of the Monterey International Pop Festival" published in November, 2011. Michelle Phillips (Afterword), Lou Adler (Foreword) 4.7 out of 5 stars, 31 ratings

My 19th book, "Docs That Rock, Music That Matters," published in 2020, chronicles the legendary filmmaker and Oscar winner, D.A. Pennebaker and his documentaries "Shake!: Otis at Monterey" and "Monterey Pop," both lensed at the epic 1967 Monterey event produced by Lou Adler and John Phillips. The "Docs" book also examines some additional Motown, Stax and Hendrix-themed documentaries. 

Due in October 2021 will be our "Jimi Hendrix: Voodoo Child" book. Advance praise comes from UCLA graduate, author/editor and journalist Daniel Weizmann, who wrote the as-told-to for DeeDee Ramone’s autobiography "Lobotomy" as well as editing Timothy Leary’s last collection, "The Delicious Grace of Moving One’s Hand." 

"Here is a Jimi Hendrix book that dares to do what the others don't: treat him like a human being. Instead of rehashing the usual claptrap folklore, Jimi Hendrix: Voodoo Child delivers a portrait of the actual 3D person like we've never seen before. From the deep exploration of his musical evolution to the cast of characters who knew him well to the vivid portrayal of the world he moved in, this is a book that lets you meet the real Jimi once and for all, and it's mindblowing. In these pages, Jimi fans will discover that truth is stranger, more beautiful, and more soulful than mythology." --Daniel Weizmann

Rock On, 

Harvey Kubernik 

Please visit Kubernik's Korner at www.otherworldcottageindustries.com 

MONDAY MORNING

ON THE RADIO:

Hi Kent – 

A kinda “quick” response to say thanks much for posting info on the “in the works” Ron Riley Documentary.

Pulling it together is a small, bright, eager group of recent graduates from SCAD University, one of the country’s premier colleges for cinema production.

As it happens, one of our family nephews, Bradly Stull, discovered that a once popular WLS 1960’s radio personality was in his lineage - I am their graduation thesis project – a brand new documentary project was underway.

I certainly wasn’t looking for any late-life notoriety, but I’m impressed by their enthusiasm and backing their effort 100%.

Cheers!                                  

Ron Riley

WLS The Big 89, 1963 – 1969

Glad to do it.  I was one of the millions of teens who tuned in every night, so this is MY way of saying "Thank You" for all that you gave us listeners back in the day.

You probably have a better appreciation of it now, after hearing it for the past 50-60 years (!), but the music of that generation and the jocks that brought it to us meant EVERYTHING to us at the time.  And those memories have stayed with us longer than most of the friends we’ve met and made over the years.

I doubt that you could even begin to comprehend it at the time, but you guys changed our lives … forever … so thank YOU for all the golden memories.  (kk)

>>>Paul Evans, from Queens, New York, visits Cousin Brucie this weekend.  How about giving us a preview of what he and Cousin Brucie might be talking about.  (FB) 

>>>I’ll betcha they’ll be talking about Paul’s new book - which doesn’t officially come out till next month (but Paul already sent me an advance copy so I’m guessing Cousin Brucie’s got one, too!)  Also about writing songs for Elvis - and maybe even Paul’s hit Christmas video about Santa getting stuck in the chimney.  (Let me know how well I guessed!)  kk

kk:

A+ in your preview to the Paul Evans interview.

Cousin Brucie asked Paul how he spent his down time and Paul said, “I wrote a book, ‘HAPPY GO LUCKY ME.’”  From March to October, he spent four hours a day / six days a week writing.  The book is out in England in July and in the U.S. in November.  You can check it out at PAULEVANS.com.

He went on to say that Elvis recorded four of his songs.

In 1978, he had a comeback hit "HELLO THIS IS JOANIE" … a big hit in England. I don't remember this one at all.  About to check it out.

FB

Here’s the link so we ALL can hear it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRfS10Ae46o

And a link to Paul’s VERY popular Christmas tune from a few years ago, too!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=557tQC86thA

We’ve been plugging this one for YEARS now … great little tune.  (Looks like it’s working … Paul’s up over three million views today!)  kk

Frank also tell us about Tony Orlando’s show on Saturday Night.

This week, Tony did a two hour special on Bobby Darin.

You can listen to a podcast of this two hour program here:

https://wabcradio.com/podcast/saturday-night-with-tony-orlando/

Bobby acted as a mentor for Tony when he was just a kid breaking into show business.  (Some people forget that Tony had two Top 20 Hits as a solo artist back in 1961, nearly ten years before he struck gold with Dawn.)

Tony was just 17 when he hit the charts with his first hit record, “Halfway To Paradise” (#17) in 1961.  He followed that one up with the even bigger hit, “Bless You” (#11, 1961).  (Bobby also mentored a young Wayne Newton, ultimately giving him HIS first big Top Ten Hit,”Danke Schoen” in 1963.)

Of course, WE’VE spotlighted Bobby Darin, the man and his music, before, too … but never more so than with our 2003 series … http://forgottenhits.com/the_bobby_darin_story

(And, I just HAVE to mention this again since it seems to be coming up again and again and again lately …

Tony Orlando’s first hit, “Halfway To Paradise,” peaked at #17 in Cash Box Magazine … but only climbed to #39 in Billboard … another chart discrepancy of over twenty places.  In that it also placed at #23 in Music Vendor, I’d have to say that once again Billboard was not factoring in as many resources as some of these other publications.  (For the record, on The Super Chart it peaked at #23.)  kk

kk …

You made a very good point about WABC not giving Harry Harrison a chance to say goodbye to his loyal listeners.

Worst one of all-time that I can remember was when WCBS-FM switched to JACK-FM … Nobody saw that one coming.

FB

From Big Jay Sorensen …

https://www.robertfeder.com/2021/06/11/robservations-owner-says-metv-fm-will-live-thrive-despite-fcc-deadline/ 

I talked with Neal Sabin of Me-TV-FM about ten days before Robert Feder ran his column and he seemed to be VERY confident that they would dodge the bullet on this one.  (Let’s hope so … the station has been posting Top Ten Ratings here in Chicago and now, thanks to syndication and streaming, is heard all over The United States.)

I am also happy to report that Me-TV-FM will now be one of the flagship stations running Gary Theroux’s History Of Rock ‘n’ Roll.  With six syndicated / affiliate stations across the country and streaming coming out of their Milwaukee station, this will expose this new series to millions of new listeners.  (kk)

Last Friday, The Drive (WDRV-FM) counted down their version of The Top 97 Classic Rock Songs as voted upon by their listeners … and let me tell you, it was QUITE a surprising list, especially in light of our own research last year when over one million votes, airplay reports and itunes downloads were tabulated in order to compile THE TOP 3333 MOST ESSENTIAL CLASSIC ROCK SONGS OF ALL TIME.

For example, The Drive’s Top 20 shaped up this way:

# 1 – SWEET CHILD O’ MINE – Guns ‘n Roses  (#179 on our list)

# 2 – FREE FALLIN’ – Tom Petty (#28)

# 3 – BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY – Queen (#1)

# 4 – PIECE OF MY HEART – Janis Joplin / Big Brother and the Holding Company (#128)

# 5 – HARD TO HANDLE – The Black Crowes (#968!)

# 6 – GO YOUR OWN WAY – Fleetwood Mac (#97)

# 7 – GIMME SHELTER – The Rolling Stones (#5)

# 8 – UNDER PRESSURE – Queen with David Bowie (#78)

# 9 – ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL – Pink Floyd (#185)

#10 – WE WILL ROCK YOU / WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS – Queen (#11)

#11 – COME TOGETHER – The Beatles (#87)

#12 – ALL MY LOVE – Led Zeppelin (#167)

#13 – NOVEMBER RAIN – Guns ‘n Roses (#2291!!!)

#14 – SILVER, BLUE AND GOLD – Bad Company (#3126!!!)

#15 – LAYLA – Derek and the Dominoes (#3)

#16 – DON’T YOU (FORGET ABOUT ME) – Simple Minds (#1361!)

#17 – YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT – The Rolling Stones (#35)

#18 – TINY DANCER – Elton John (#15)

#19 – JUMPIN’ JACK FLASH – The Rolling Stones (#54)

#20 – BACK IN BLACK – AC/DC (#49)

Three Queen songs in The Top Ten (but "Another One Bites The Dust" doesn't even make the list … yet "Fat Bottomed Girls" does ... Three Rolling Stones songs in The Top 20 … (FIVE made ours!!!) ... only ONE song by The Beatles (and it’s “Come Together” and not "Hey Jude," "Here Comes The Sun" or "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" ... in fact, SEVEN Beatles tunes placed higher than this one on our list) and only one song by Led Zeppelin (this from a station that plays an average of eleven Led Zeppelin songs a day!!!  They even BILL themselves as “Chicago’s Led Zeppelin Station”) … as well as “Chicago’s Aerosmith Station,” who didn’t place a song on the countdown until you hit #27.  (“Dream On,” naturally … gotta hear THAT one at least 30 times a week!)  Meanwhile, "Mama Kin" made the list but "Sweet Emotion" didn't.  Go figure.

Two songs in The Top 20 by Guns ‘n Roses???  “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” in The Top 20?  “Layla” all the way down at #15?  “Silver, Blue And Gold” as their favorite Bad Company song???

I dunno … maybe the audience is just skewing younger.  (Or perhaps Covid Memory Loss is at play!)

When all was said and done, we only had FIVE common Top 20 songs between us ... and THEIR list had at least five or six more head scratchers.

Some of the “most obvious choices” came in as follows:

“Here Comes The Sun” (#24), “Start Me Up” (#25), “In The Air Tonight” (#26), “Dream On” (#27), “Let It Be” (#28), “Live And Let Die” (#33), “Hey Jude” (#36), “Sweet Home Alabama” (#38), “Juke Box Hero” (#40), “Free Bird” (#50), “More Than A Feeling” (#54!!!), “Stairway To Heaven” (#57), “Take It Easy On Me” by The Little River Band at #63 … how the heck did THAT happen??? … when does The Drive EVER play that song??? ... “Magic Carpet Ride” at #82 … but no “Born To Be Wild” … “Monkey Man” by The Rolling Stones at #87 but “Satisfaction” doesn’t even make the list (?!?!?) Crazier still, “Hotel California”’s is not even on the list?!?!?  Some VERY STRANGE voting going on here!!!

More surprises:  “She’s A Rainbow” at #29?!?!?  (Gotta be due to that new commercial that’s running all the time on TV!)  “Ramble On” by Led Zeppelin and “Fool In The Rain” BOTH finishing ahead of “Stairway To Heaven” (#57) … and “Whole Lotta Love” not even making the list!

Also missing:  “Born To Run,” “Light My Fire,” “Who Are You,” “All Along The Watchtower,” “Purple Haze,” “Don’t Stop Believin’” and “Life In The Fast Lane” … all high-ranking choices on our list and songs you hear every single day, whether you want to or not … yet “Never Been Any Reason” by Head East and “Everybody Wants Some” by Van Halen made the list (at #58 and #45 respectively.)

Let’s just leave it at “interesting” as to these choices … but certainly NOT representative of what MOST Classic Rock Fans want to hear … or even what The Drive plays on a regular basis.  (kk)

THIS AND THAT:

Here’s a bit of good news for all the vintage “legacy” artists out there …

Tom Cuddy tells us …

This Week In Music: Sony Music Steps Up For Its Older Artists, Cancels Unrecouped Debts
https://deadline.com/2021/06/this-week-in-music-sony-music-cancels-unrecouped-debts-1234774237/

This is SO long overdue … but very good news nonetheless.

It struck me the other day when we ran the story about Micky Dolenz’s version of Michael Nesmith’s “Different Drum” reaching #1 in Great Britain …

Something like that could NEVER happen here in America …

But over in Great Britain, they have ALWAYS shown a love and long-standing appreciation for not only this music but all these artists who created it in the first place.  Concert tickets and record sales continued for DECADES after some of these artists’ last hits fell off the charts.  Here in The States, unless it’s through a radio or music outlet specifically catered to the oldies market (and there are fewer and fewer of these around each week!), the news of a Dolenz / Nesmith collaboration would barely register as a blip on the showbiz Richter Scale.  (And they pulled out all the stops on this one promotionwise!)

Hopefully now some of these long forgotten (and quite often swindled) artists will start to earn back some of what they’ve gone without for all these years.  (kk)

After answering a reader’s question the other day about the horn players used on The Buckinghams’ records, Carl Giammarese reminded me …

Tufano and Giammarese played in the studio with many great and well known musicians including Tom Scott and the LA Express. 

Carl

Yes, I had forgotten all about that.

After The Buckinghams split up, Dennis Tufano and Carl Giammarese headed west and went to work for Lou Adler’s Ode Records label.  (Adler had produced the hits of The Mamas and the Papas in the ‘60’s … and in 1971, Ode was home to Carole King’s “Tapestry” album.)

I did just a quick search on Amazon to see if any of that Tufano and Giammarese material was available on CD and was surprised to see how many listings they had for original vinyl product …

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=tufano+and+giammarese&i=popular&ref=nb_sb_noss

Lou Adler produced the first Tufano and Giammarese album and single, a song I wrote, called “Music Everywhere.” Lou was an exceptional producer that I enjoyed being around. He also gave us the freedom to create … wish we could have had some hits. I think “Music Everywhere” charted in the 50's. [#68 – kk] Ode Records was a special custom label back then. 

Carole King played on “Music Everywhere” and others on that album.  We did three albums with Ode in the 70's.

Carl

VERY cool … I think I only have the first one … so I’ve got a bit of catching up to do.

Although “Music Everywhere” never charted here in Chicago, it DID get a fair amount of airplay on the soft rock stations at the time … and is a really good song ... sounding VERY much “of the time” for that music era.  (kk)

Kent,

In today's FH, you mentioned and talked about George McCannon III and the songs he had that did chart. You mentioned the one he charted with in 1963 … a song called LANA. Now I'm taking the lazy man's way out and asking you a question. Is this LANA the same song that Roy Orbison and the group the Velvets recorded both on Monument records? I believe I know the answer. What say you (lol)?

Larry

Well, since I’ve never heard ANY of the songs you're referring to, all I can do is look it up and see!  (Which is probably exactly what you wanted me to do!!!)

The answer is YES –

“Lana” was written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson as part of an early and somewhat regular songwriting partner.  (The two wrote “Only The Lonely,” “Up Town,” “Blue Angel,”I’m Hurtin’,” “Running Scared,” “Crying,” “The Crowd” and “Blue Bayou” together … a pretty impressive string of hits recorded between 1960 and 1963.)

For the record, Orbison’s version of “Lana” never charted either ... and The Velvets' version was issued as the B-Side of their single "Laugh" ... which was ALSO written by Orbison and Melson! (kk)

Congratulations to all of the recording artists that made The Queen’s Birthday Honours List this year.  Alison Moyet and Engelbert Humperdinck (born Arnold Dorsey) both received MBE’s (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.)  Rick Wakeman of Yes and Lulu (born Marie Lawrie) were both awarded the CBE (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) and  Alan Parsons received an OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.)  kk

Also from Larry …

Kent,

I have seen a brand new commercial (at least brand new to me) on television. It is 15 seconds long and the item is Lipton Iced Tea.  In the background is the song by Davie Allan and the Arrows, I'M LOOKING OVER A FOUR LEAF CLOVER.

I have only seen this commercial twice … so I am not positive that it is Davie Allan ... but I am positive about the song, even though it is done very quietly in the background, causing one to have problems figuring it out at all!

I am going out on a leaf (no pun intended) and say that you haven't seen this commercial yet.

Larry

And you would be correct ...  I have not ...

But that doesn’t mean that I can’t ask Davie Allan if his song is being used in the new Lipton Tea advertising campaign!!!  (Davie has been a long-time Forgotten Hits Reader … so let’s see what he has to say.)  kk

I have searched the Iced Tea tune and couldn't find my recording. Is there a way your reader can give me more info and somehow get a copy of the commercial?

Thanks,

Davie

I can only surmise by this response that either it isn’t Davie … or if it is, he was never notified (or likely compensated!) 

Can we get a little bit more information on this so we can check things out?

Thanks, Larry!  (kk)

UPDATE:  I found a site that shows all of the recent Lipton Iced Tea commercials … and none of them feature this song.  Maybe it’s a different brand? (Not Lipton)

Since I’ve never seen the commercial, maybe you can let us know the next time you see it.  Thanks, Larry … or any other readers who can steer us right!  (kk)

https://www.ispot.tv/brands/dJH/lipton

Forgotten Hits Reader Geoff Lambert, who publishes a weekly music sheet featuring the latest oldies news and historical facts from This Week In Rock and Roll History, tells us that Fifty Years Ago This Week in 1971 in the U.K. (which is where he’s based), the new #1 record this week (displacing Dawn’s “Knock Three Times”) was “Chirpy, Chirpy Cheep, Cheep” by Middle Of The Road, a song given the spotlight treatment here in Forgotten Hits a couple of weeks ago thanks to a piece written by FH Reader Mike Gentry.  It would be the start of its five week run at the top of the chart.  And, on this very same Record Retailer Chart, the highest new entry of the week was Chirpy, Chirpy Cheep, Cheep by Mac and Katie Kissoon, premiering at number 41.

If you’d like to get on Geoff’s mailing list, just drop him an email at geoff.lambert@btinternet.com … and tell him that Forgotten Hits sent you.

(Please note, however, that he is taking a two week break right now so no new newsletters will be going out until July.)  kk

And this one, just in from Mike Wolstein, made ME smile ...

1971 SUPER CHARTS: Week Ending June 19th

The Honey Cone can only hold on to the #1 spot for a week with their hit "Want Ads" ... as Ringo Starr pushes past them with his first big solo hit, "It Don't Come Easy," making Ringo the SECOND Former Beatle to earn a #1 Record.  (That in and of itself is quite an amazing statistic ... when one considers that for virtually the entire duration of The Beatles, all of the focus seemed to be on the hit-making songwriting team of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, it was quite the surprise that the far less likely George Harrison and Ringo Starr ended up with #1 Singles before either of the two band leaders did!)

Now some may argue, "How can 'It Don't Come Easy' be #1 ... it never hit #1 in Billboard" ... and you would be correct ... it topped out at #4 in Billboard Magazine ... but it DID hit #1 in both Cash Box and Record World ... and our Super Charts are based on the COMBINED showing of these records in the three major trades at the time.  This is why I have always maintained that The Super Charts are the most accurate representation possible of popular music at any given point in time as they take into consideration EVERY resource used by Billboard, Cash Box and Record World to compile their chart information ... and then combines ALL of this information into the most completely accurate chart possible.  This means much more retail operations included, much more accurate sales representation, several more radio stations and airplay stats being monitored ... and several more distributors and listener requests.  You can compare the charts of these three major trades side by side and get a pretty good picture of how music ranked at any given point in time ... but, far more often than you might think, you will also see discrepancies of 20 chart places or more.  The Super Charts PROVE what the most popular records REALLY were for any given week.  (And, quite honestly, "It Don't Come Easy" hitting #1 in two of the three major trades tells me that Billboard probably missed the ball on this one!  Kinda like "Dock Of The Bay" topping Billboard's chart for four weeks in 1968 ... but NEVER hitting #1 in either of the other publications ... makes one think that there had to be some bit of "favoritism" going on there!)

 

 

Meanwhile, there is only one new entry to The Top Ten this week as The Raiders' "Indian Reservation" climbs up six spots to land at #10.

Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds have one of the week's biggest movers with "Don't Pull Your Love.  It climbs 14 spots from #33 to #19.  We're also seeing significant gains for Tom Jones' version of "Puppet Man," a hit last year for The Fifth Dimension and up nine places this week for Mr. Sock-In The Pants, while Carly Simon climbs another 14 spots with "That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be."  Carly's future husband, James Taylor, makes a move of 19 places with "You've Got A Friend" and The Grass Roots jump up 16 spots to break into The Top 40 with "Sooner Or Later."

Playing Favorites:

The new Rolling Stones single has been released now that "Brown Sugar" is slowly making its way down the chart after peaking at #1 a few weeks ago.  "Wild Horses" is a bit of a change-up for The World's Greatest Rock And Roll Band ... it premiers at #72 this week in 1971.

 

Cat Stevens is back on the chart with "Moon Shadow," one of those songs that ANYBODY able to play a guitar back then had to add to their repreitour.

 

 

And debuting in the #100 spot is "Don't Say You Don't Remember" by Beverly Bremers, one of the very first people ever interviewed for Forgotten Hits.  This one'll STILL stick in your head some fifty years later. 

 

This Week in 1971:

June 13^th – The New York Times begins to publish “The Pentagon Papers.”  The US Government immediately files a lawsuit to prevent these documents from being published.  The case will go to court two weeks later.

June 15^th- The Guess Who earn a Gold Record Award for their “Best Of The Guess Who” album  (Chock full of hits … and yet these guys STILL aren’t in The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.)

June 16^th – Kent Kotal graduates Morton West High School.  (He will turn 18 two and a half months later)

Also on this date, Tupac Shakur is born.  (He will be shot and killed in a drive-by shooting in 1996.)

June 17^th – President Nixon declares The U.S. War On Drugs

June 18^th – Southwest Airlines (promoted as a “low-cost carrier”) begins its first flights between Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, Texas