Here’s my take on the new “McCartney
3-2-1” series running on Hulu …
First of all, I was wrong …
each of the six episodes only runs about 30 minutes … so it’s more like a THREE
hour documentary than a six hour one as promoted by me about a week ago.
Second of all, the entire
thing looks like it was all done at one lengthy sitting / session. Shot completely in black and white, McCartney
and host Rick Rubin (who honestly asked VERY little questions throughout the
entire three hour exchange) primarily discuss technique and inspiration. (Honestly, I’m not sure Rubin adds that much
to the mix … he may try to lead McCartney down a particular path, but this is
McCartney’s story and HE’S the one to tell it … and he assumes proper control
in this manner as the series moves on.)
I will say this about
McCartney … he has told so many of these stories now so many times that they’re
no longer anecdotes. They’ve just become
part of the story that everyone who has followed McCartney’s career for the
past 40 years is already familiar with. (Here again, the best Rick Rubin can do is look a little surprised when he hears these revelations, giving the impression that he really didn't know all that much about the subject matter or interview subject as well as he probably should have.) I will say this, however … it was nice to
hear Paul finally tell some stories about GEORGE since nearly all of his
reminisces these past several decades have been about John. The idea of two Beatles sitting along the
side of the road warming up a quick lunch in the midst of hitch-hiking, for example, made me
smile. That's one I HADN'T heard before.
Overall, Paul was very complimentary to
all three of his former bandmates (and was even able to work Stu Sutcliffe and
Pete Best into part of the conversation.)
The idea that someone would have to pick up the bass guitar once Stu
left the band … and the fact that that duty fell squarely on Paul because John
and George both said “Well, I’m not doing it” said a lot … because the truth of
the matter is Paul took to the instrument in a way no others did. (He even admitted ... or alluded to the fact that he typically assumed the role of "taskmaster" during the sessions to guide the others in a particular direction or to keep them on point. While one could argue that it's nice to see, with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, McCartney may now see the error of his ways, it was the very fact that he DID assume this responsibility that The Beatles continued to grow and evolve as a band ... and this point becomes all the more obvious as Paul and Rick Rubin start to dissect some of these recordings.)
The stripped down sessions
isolating specific instruments shows the various techniques that McCartney used
to achieve some pretty incredible and unique sounds … little things I’d never
really noticed before such as the tuba sound he achieved on “Maxwell’s Silver
Hammer” as a means to DELIBERATELY create that sound ... it was exactly the way he heard the tune in his head.
Paul mentions at some point that
he always fancied himself as a lead guitarist but then choked under pressure
the one time he was supposed to take the lead on stage during a live
performance … deciding then and there that it was best to leave those duties to
George Harrison (despite the fact that Paul would go on to play lead on several
Beatles recordings over the years, including a couple of George's …
often pissing George off enough in the process for Harrison to simply say … after
receiving more unsolicited direction from Macca on how to play a specific interlude … “Well then, YOU play it!” Which of course he did.)
What Paul did was he played
the bass much like a lead guitar … often going in several different directions, straying
from the song’s predominant melody to create a counter melody all on its own …
many times working in conjunction with his own vocal part to compliment the
two. In these areas, I found the film to
be fascinating … and I will never listen to some of these recordings the same
way again, despite having already listened to them literally THOUSANDS of times
before.
Perhaps the most fascinating
example of The Beatles working together in unison to create the most unique
sound possible was on “And Your Bird Can Sing,” a song that appeared on the “Revolver”
album in the UK but first premiered here in The States on “Yesterday And Today.”
I have ALWAYS loved this song
… and remember hearing it for the very first time during those old Saturday Morning
ABC Beatles cartoons. This is the song
they played during the show’s closing credits.
(Kinda like “For Pete’s Sake” on The Monkees’ TV series.)
It comes up during the final
episode of the series and is worth the price of admission alone. When you hear the various parts separated in all their glory, you simply cannot deny the genius that went into the recording of this track.
All in all, a VERY watchable
three hours … and I know I’ll watch it again.
The sound is really quite incredible and the way they showcase special
segments and features from some of the songs by way of isolated tracks is really quite
amazing. (There are also classic Beatles film clips sprinkled throughout all six episodes that make the viewing process that much more enjoyable.)
Knowing that The Beatles
CREATED this material with many of these thoughts in mind … with this much foresight AND
enough creative curiosity to experiment in the studio to achieve a new level or
recording is really quite fascinating.
But then who would dare deny them?
As the #1 Recording Act on the planet, The Beatles had carte blanche when it came to use and access in the studio. Oh, John Moog is upstairs? Bring him down. Yes, we'll need a 40 piece orchestra for this one. And yet, as Paul himself states in the special, some of the coolest things to get
on record were the little mistakes they made along the way … and then decided to leave
in.
Even for the Paul McCartney
know-it-all fanatic like me, I found enough new information in this special to
stay totally transfixed and entertained.
I can only imagine how much more the casual McCartney fan will discover
when HE watches it!
Highly recommended. (kk)
I have watched
only two of the new Hulu six-part series of interviews with Paul McCartney and so
far, I have to say they are just FABULOUS!
I’m suprised
that in Episode 1, Paul talks about Sgt Pepper and the LP cover, but does not
link the fact that when he shows Hendrix performing the "Sgt Peppers"
song on the third day after release … because in just three days he had already
learned the song and was up there performing it … and I’m thinking one reason
he could do it so soon was because he had the LYRICS on the back cover.
He did not need to figure them out because he HAD them -- we ALL had
them! Hendrix had to figure out the music but not the lyrics. This
was the first time I ever saw lyrics included in an LP.
The shows so
far are just wonderful. I’ve watched two of them. A few of the
stories I knew, but he added some insight to those and often his musical
ability and how they CREATED a song from bits and pieces of past performers
stuff was great.
Anyway, this IS
must see TV! If you can get these viewed, they are WORTH your while!
Clark Besch
Sirius / XM has a new
specialty channel running through the end of the month that counts down The Top
500 Summer Songs based on their actual chart performance on Billboard’s Hot 100
Top Pop Singles Chart, 1958 – 2000.
The good news is: You get a WIDE variety of tunes from the past
five decades, making for a fun and interesting listening experience without any repeats.
The bad news is: Naturally (as with all things Billboard
lately) the list is heavily weighted by the new chart compiling criteria that
makes comparing the hits of the ‘50’s, ‘60’s, ‘70’s and ‘80’s with the hits of
today a complete impossibility.
Even worse news: Because once again Billboard has decided that
essential pop music didn’t begin until August of 1958 when they launched their Hot 100 Chart, some of the Greatest Songs
of Summer aren’t eligible for this list.
For example:
The grand-daddy summer song
of all time … “Rock Around The Clock” by Bill Haley and His Comets ... isn't on the list. This one dominated the music scene in 1955
and single-handedly launched The Rock Era … yet it is nowhere to be found on
this list because, coming out in 1955, it’s just too “ancient” to qualify.
The Summer of ’56 gave us “Hound
Dog” and “Heartbreak Hotel” by Elvis, neither of which qualifies for the new
Billboard Chart … and the Top Three Songs of Summer, 1957, “Love Letters In The
Sand” by Pat Boone, “Bye Bye Love” by The Everly Brothers and “Teddy Bear,”
also by Elvis, are nowhere to be found.
The new series, running 24/7
and doing nothing but counting down The Top 500 on a continuous loop, will run
thru July 30th on Channel 104 on Sirius / XM (which is really nice
because the new summer Beach Boys Channel is 105, which makes it REAL easy to flip
back and forth between the two when one of the stations is playing crap that you don't really care about!)
It will continue to run on
the Sirius/XM app until August 14th (on demand) and then, in their
issue dated August 16th, Billboard will publish the complete Top 500
List. (The list will also appear on Billboard.com.)
Remember, this list is based
on actual chart performance ONLY … so our Forgotten Hits link provided below should give you a pretty good idea of what to expect in the 1958 – 1980 category. But again, you'll find that many of the newer tunes dominate this list because
of their extended longevity on the charts.
Of course you can see ALL of
the Biggest Hits of Summer … which are also based on their overall chart performance
during the months of June, July and August for each year between 1955 and 1980 ... as well as the most recent list of Your Top 200
All-Time Summer Favorites on the site: http://forgottenhits.com/ … and, just for the
record, “Summer In The City” placed at #96 on the official Top 500 Chart
compiled by Billboard Magazine. (kk)
Did you get up early this morning in order to listen
to Bob Sirott’s replay of the seven songs that made the WLS Survey on July 14th,
1967?
Well, if you missed it, all
you have to do is scroll back to Saturday’s Weekend Comments Page and listen to
it there.
Meanwhile, a few more
comments from some other folks on the list who enjoyed this very special look
back at a very special time here in Chicago …
Awesome, Kent -
Lots of great memories from my
days behind the ‘LS mike “Spinning” those Hits - and of the great people and
talented Chicago area musicians whose creative music we played. None of us -
DJ’s, musicians and those thousands of listeners and fans - ever dreamed such a
legacy was being built that decade and that we’d still be talking about it and
listening to the music so many years later.
Thank you for helping keep that
exciting era alive.
Cheers!!!
Ron Riley
WLS 1963 to 1969
Always appreciate hearing these
great posts, Kent …
It makes my day and the Colony’s
as well.
Thanks so much.
Ronnie Rice
My son and his
family just came for a visit and brought these amazing Father's Day
gifts. Do be Colony!
Walt Kemp
In regards to Saturday's
piece on "How Chicago Rocked the 60s," I NEVER get tired of watching
it. I've known many of the guys in those groups over the years, and it's
fun to bump into them at various events, especially those involving the Dick
Biondi Film. Kudos to Bob for doing a great job putting it together (Bob: don't
forget the AP gathering in three weeks!) Mike Wolstein
It’s a VERY fun
piece to watch that holds up exceptionally well. The music is outstanding and all of the guys are
just so enthusiastic and appreciative of the fans who’ve stuck with them all
these years. (And damn, doesn’t
everybody look so YOUNG there!!! Lol)
Like Ron Riley
says above, nobody could have ever dreamed that this music would STILL be
bringing us so much joy all these 50-something years later. A half hour well spent! (kk)
Hi Kent -
I heard Bob Sirott mention YOU and Forgotten Hits on the radio last
week!
Very Well Deserved!
I enjoyed reading Saturday's comments mentioning some of the names
of the record labels that were popular in the day. Most young artists got
their starts recording on those independent labels!
Do you know anything about the record company that recorded the hit
record in the 60's "Posicles, Icicles" by "The Murmaids"?
I have the record with a dark pink label with the name Chatahoocie
Records.
When in doubt ask the master ...
Carolyn
Well, let's see ... where to begin ...
DIDJAKNOW?-1: The Murmaids’ Top Three Hit
(it went all the way to #1 in Music Vendor!) was written by David Gates, a good
six years before he hit the big time on his own with Bread? (In between, he would hit pay dirt again when
The Monkees recorded his song “Saturday’s Child” for their first album, which
sold MILLIONS!)
The Murmaids were a One Hit
Wonder out of Los Angeles. Incredibly,
their big hit single was released with FOUR different B-Sides! (Depending on when and where you bought it,
your flip side could have been either "Bunny Stomp," "Huntington
Flats," "Comedy and Tragedy" or "Blue Dress." All were released with the catalog number Chattahoochee
628!)
It was a very
unique looking record label and staff producer Kim Fowley produced The Murmaids’
only hit. (The record company was owned
by Ruth Conte Yardum and, quite honestly, there’s not a whole lot of
information to be found online about them!
I do know that Chattahoochie Records also released the single “Whittier Blvd.,” which
only managed to bubble under in the trades but was a Top 20 Hit here in Chicago
in 1965. Thee Midniters also charted
with their version of “Land Of A Thousand Dances” that year.) kk
DIDJAKNOW?-2: Know what the record was that knocked “Popsicles,
Icicles” out of the #1 spot in Music Vendor Magazine in January of 1964??? It was a little ditty called “I Want To Hold Your Hand” by a brand new, unknown act called The Beatles.
UPDATE: I
asked Harvey Kubernik, who has covered the California scene in such great
detail over the years, if he could share any information on the Chattahoochee
label … and boy, did he come thru on this one!!!
(See, when I don’t
know … I know where to go! Lol)
Here’s what he
sent me …
People need to know about this label. I touted and
extolled the landmark Chattahoochie Records in my book "Turn Up The
Radio! Rock, Pop, and Roll in Los Angeles 1956-1972."
I interviewed
Kim Fowley and Little Willie G. of Thee Midniters who both helped create
unique, popular and influential multi-cultural sounds from the City of the
Angels.
In fact, just
yesterday Little Willie G., the front man of Thee Midniters, called me. I'll be
interviewing him sometime in August. He told me he ran into Kim and Jackie
DeShannon at Gold Star and around Hollywood and Los Angeles. Willie also said
in 1966 he talked to Dewey Martin of Buffalo Springfield around their Gold Star
sessions one day.
Kim Fowley: In 1963, I was hitchhiking, and a budding songwriter, before he
was with Screen Gems Music, David Gates, picked me up and gave me a ride. We
talked; he mentioned he was a songwriter. He had a bass guitar in the back
seat. “Are you a musician or a songwriter?” He wrote songs. I told him who I
was. He knew about “Alley-Oop” and “Nutrocker.” We went into my house and he
played me “Popsicles and Icicles,” and I said, “Hit record!” I found a group to
do it — the Murmaids. Stan Ross was the engineer at Gold Star Recording
Studios. In 1964, the Beatles knocked it out of the number-one slot in Cash
Box with “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”
[Editor’s Note: It was actually #1 in Music Vendor, the
precursor to Record World. “Popsicles,
Icicles” peaked at #3 in both Billboard and Cash Box. – kk]
I remember
years ago Kim telling us that the drummer on "Popsicles and Icicles"
was Ronnie Selico. He had played on the road with Lloyd Price and later did
some work with Frank Zappa. Kim, especially during 1960-1965, regularly
employed Black, Chicano and transplanted New Orleans musicians in his record
productions. He hired members of The Hollywood Flames and the genius arranger
Rene Hall. In fact, Rene's wife Sugar was Kim's office manager in the early sixties.
Both Kim and Little Willie were always architects of diversity in musical
journeys.
KIM FOWLEY: At Gold Star
Studios, one day I ran into Brian Wilson and he asked me who the Murmaids were.
I asked him, “What is the basis of your songwriting?” And he said, “Well,
school is nine months a year and the summer holidays are three months, and you
write about that and getting in trouble with your parents.”
The Chattahoochie label was also the home to
the legendary group Thee Midniters. They did some recording at Gold Star as
well. The band cut a version of "Land Of A 1000 Dances" for the label
and had a big hit instrumental single "Whittier Blvd." A monumental
endeavor that to this day still packs a dance floor and a treasured audio
item.
You of all
people would be please to know that during his 1965 year shift on KRLA, Dick
Biondi had a couple of their records, including "Whittier Blvd." in
rotation.
[Editor’s Note: “Whittier Blvd.” was a Top 20 Hit here in
Chicago, too! Kind of surprising in that
it only managed to bubble under in all three of the major trades! – kk]
Little Willie G.: The group recorded in Hollywood on Melrose Avenue, at Studio Masters
with Bruce Morgan, who was a godsend. He had worked with the Beach Boys there
and was just an incredible guy. “What do you guys want to sound like?” We told
him, “We want to sound the way we sound live, when we are playing on a stage or
in a backyard.” There’s an energy, vibe, and cohesion with a unity that comes
across.
We recorded over twenty-five singles. It was right across the
street from Paramount Pictures. Studio Masters was right next door to Lucy’s El
Adobe Café. It was not unusual to go into Lucy’s El Adobe and see Leonard Nimoy
and William Shatner come in wearing full makeup during their lunch break from
filming the Star Trek television series.
After “Land of a Thousand Dances,” the British Invasion happened in
1964 and 1965. At rehearsal, one of our warm-up songs was “2120 South Michigan
Avenue” by the Rolling Stones, from their 12 X 5 LP. We needed a
follow-up record for Chattahoochee Records. Sammy Phillip [later known as Hirth
Martinez] wrote a song, “Evil Love.” We went in and did it. Then Bruce Morgan
said, “Okay, what’s the B-side?” And we looked at each other. We didn’t even
think of that.
We also knew the value of instrumentals. Like, there were
surf music instrumentals. The instrumental is not a novelty in East L.A. We
were following James Brown. “Night Train,” those type of things. “Harlem
Nocturne.”
The street Whittier Boulevard became a cruising mecca. They
started coming from Orange County and the San Fernando Valley, and from the
beach cities. Our audience was everybody. They’d come from San Pedro, Hermosa,
Manhattan Beach, Van Nuys, Pacoima. They would come to Whittier Boulevard
partly because of our song, but we also had three things in common: music,
cars, and girls. You could find all that on Whittier Boulevard.
Thee Midniters had strong support from the local DJs. Art
Laboe, Huggy Boy, [and] Godfrey, as well as Sam Riddle on KHJ and Casey Kasem
and Dave Hull from KRLA, took us to the air force bases. We were Casey’s
favorite band to book. He was an advocate of what we did, and then Dave Hull,
and then Sam Riddle. They hired us for their private events and the dances they
sponsored.
We were not stuck in a doo-wop bag, either. We were total
entertainers. We played a lot of backyard, family-oriented parties. The older
folks wanted to hear boleros; they wanted to hear corridos. Then you had the
second generation that wanted to hear Duke Ellington and big band stuff — Frank
Sinatra and Bing Crosby stuff. We learned all that stuff. Because music really
transcends borders and colors. I think our band was indicative of that. If you
saw the band, you left as a fan.
We played everywhere. We were able to go to Thousand Oaks and
to Hawthorne for the Drop. We performed at the Rendezvous Ballroom on Balboa
Island with Dick Dale. We toured a short season with Paul Revere and the
Raiders in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.
Thanks, Harvey!
Joel Whitburn
describes Thee Midniters as a Mexican-American rock band from Los Angeles,
California … Willie Garcia (Little Willie G), vocals; Roy Marquez, guitar;
George Dominguez, guitar; Ronnie Figueroa, organ; Romeo Prado, trombone; Larry
Rendon, sax; Jimmy Espinoza, bass and George Salazar, drums.
As for The
Murmaids, Whitburn says that they were a teen “girl group” from Los Angeles,
California, consisting of sisters Carol and Terry Fischer and their friend,
Sally Gordon.
For a complete
discography of Chattahoochie Records, you can check out this link:
http://www.globaldogproductions.info/c/chattahoochie.html
There’s a great interview in “Chicago Now” with Bill Cunningham
of The Box Tops, talking about the good old days as well as their upcoming show
at The City Winery next week.
(Wednesday, July 21st.) In fact, The Box Tops play Chicago TWICE over the next
few months, stopping back in December to open for Tommy James and the Shondells
at The Genesee Theatre in Waukegan. (kk)
Bill Cunningham Looks Back On 'The Letter' As Box Tops Head To
City Winery
Our interview with The Box Tops, circa 2018:
https://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2018/04/forgotten-hits-interviews-box-tops.html
Upcoming Tour Dates: https://boxtops.com/tour-list/
THE BOX TOPS HIT LIST:
(and what an impressive list it is!)
1967 – The Letter (#1, 4 weeks, USA / #1, 6 weeks. Chicago)
1967 – Neon Rainbow (#16, USA / #8, Chi)
1968 – Cry Like A Baby
(#2, USA / #2, Chi)
1968 – Choo Choo Train
(#17, USA / #23, Chi)
1968 – I Met Her In Church (#29, USA / #23, Chi)
1969 – Sweet Cream Ladies, Forward March (#22, USA / xx, Chi)
1969 – I Shall Be Released
(#67, USA / xx, Chi)
1969 – Soul Deep
(#11, USA / #3, Chi)
1969 – Turn On A Dream
(#31, USA / #23, Chi)
1970 – You Keep Tightening Up On Me (#70, USA / xx, Chi)
Nearly ALL of The Box Tops’ national peaks were higher in
the trade publications OTHER than Billboard, where they typically placed as many as 7 – 22 places
lower for some reason. It just didn’t
seem to make sense as some of these tracks are absolute classics. (kk)
Don't know if I missed it, but Richard Marx has put out a new book,
"Stories to Tell: A Memoir" (Simon & Schuster).
Here's some info:
Richard Marx story
Marx talks about his book
in a recent concert.
https://youtu.be/pE_yEGgXm64
“Right Here Waiting” 30th
anniversary retrospective video of Marx’s career.
https://youtu.be/y2zeudxXjuU
Richard Marx has sold more
than 30 million albums worldwide over the course of his career. He is the only
male artist whose first seven singles reached the Top 5 on the Billboard
charts, and he has written on a number one single in each of the last four decades
— an accolade previously only reached by Michael Jackson.
He won a 2004 Song of the
Year Grammy and has scored fourteen number-one singles, both as a performer and
as a songwriter / producer. He is also a committed philanthropist, supporting
charitable causes such as the American Cancer Society and the Ronald McDonald
House Charities, Mercy For Animals, ASPCA, Humane Society, St. Jude Children’s
Research Hospital, and the charity closest to his heart, the Cystic Fibrosis
Foundation. He lives in Malibu, California, with his wife, Daisy Fuentes.
Richard Marx is one of the most accomplished singer-songwriters in
the history of popular music. His self-titled 1987 album went triple platinum
and made him the first male solo artist (and second solo artist overall after
Whitney Houston) to have four singles from their debut crack the top three on
the Billboard Hot 100. His follow-up, 1989’s Repeat Offender, was an even
bigger smash, going quadruple platinum and landing two singles at number one.
He has written fourteen number one songs in total, shared a Song of the Year
Grammy with Luther Vandross, and collaborated with a variety of artists
including NSYNC, Josh Groban, Natalie Cole, and Keith Urban. Lately, he’s also
become a Twitter celebrity thanks to his outspokenness on social issues and his
ability to out-troll his trolls.
In Stories to Tell, Marx uses this same engaging, straight-talking
style to look back on his life and career. He writes of how Kenny Rogers
changed a single line of a song he’d written for him then asked for a 50% cut —
which inspired Marx to write one of his biggest hits. He tells the uncanny
story of how he wound up curled up on the couch of Olivia Newton-John, his
childhood crush, watching Xanadu. He shares the tribulations of working with
the all-female hair metal band Vixen and appearing in their video. Yet amid
these entertaining celebrity encounters, Marx offers a more sobering assessment
of the music business as he’s experienced it over four decades — the challenges
of navigating greedy executives and grueling tour schedules, and the rewards of
connecting with thousands of fans at sold-out shows that make all the drama
worthwhile. He also provides an illuminating look at his songwriting process
and talks honestly about how his personal life has inspired his work, including
finding love with wife Daisy Fuentes and the mystery illness that recently
struck him — and that doctors haven’t been able to solve.
Ken Voss
When I first heard about Richard Marx’s book, I
immediately put it on by birthday present wish list … really looking forward to
reading it. (I was not aware of the
suffering he’s been going thru these past several years. We’ve seen him in concert a few times now and
it’s always been an amazing show.)
Others interested in catching up on Richard’s career
can order a copy thru Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Stories-Tell-Memoir-Richard-Marx-ebook/dp/B08LDWKLSL/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=richard+marx&qid=1626564956&s=books&sr=1-1
Hi Kent,
Only in Forgotten Hits –
Just saw you calling attention to Glass
Bottle's "I Ain't Got Time Anymore" -- great song! Just like
the song by the Rose Garden, "Next Plane To London," both One Hit
Wonders, both keepers!
Hope one day in Forgotten Hits to be seeing interviews
with Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. and also Frankie Valli.
"Sherry" by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons was a hit 59 years
ago -- and Frankie is still out there singin' his hits -- remarkable! As
with all of his songs, "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" is timeless.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J36z7AnhvOM
Best To Ya,
Tim Kiley
>>>"Hill
Where The Lord Hides" by Chuck Mangione (#82 to #72) and "He's Gonna
Step On You Again" by John Kongos (#89 to #73) ... does ANYBODY out there
remember EITHER of these last two?!?!?
(kk)
"Hill
Where The Lord Hides" was a big hit in Buffalo and Rochester, NY (#1
there). I heard it on WKBW in Buffalo, which I was able to pick up after dark
from New Jersey. I was in college at the time and I got reviewer passes to see
Mangione at Madison Square Garden. It was a great show (and of course I gave it
a great review.) As for John Kongos, I
remember hearing that record at the time, and I have it on a CD compilation,
and have it in a folder of possible songs to play on the 70s Double Play
feature on my Top Shelf Oldies program.
– Randy Price
Both are new ones on me. (Nationally, they peaked at #61 and #64
respectively … but never made a dent here in Chicago.) kk
kk …
When Cousin
Brucie came back to WABC 77 AM, I said it was only the beginning of more changes
to come.
We now have
Tony Orlando following Cousin Brucie on Saturday Night Oldies.
And then on Sunday’s
(debuting tonight at 8:00 pm) it’s Joe Piscopo's Sinatra Show ... followed by "THE
DEANA MARTIN SHOW," coming on at 9:00 pm.
(And probably featuring a lot of Dino stories)
FB
TUFF GONG and MERCURY STUDIOS ANNOUNCE GLOBAL RELEASE OF BOB MARLEY
AND THE WAILERS - THE CAPITOL SESSION ’73
RESTORED AND AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME -- OUT ON DVD+CD, CD,
COLORED 2LP, AND DIGITAL FORMATS ~SEPTEMBER 3, 2021~
VIEW "STIR IT UP" VIDEO HERE
WATCH THE TRAILER ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM
PRE-ORDER HERE
The scene is Hollywood ... October, 1973.
International reggae pioneers Bob Marley and The Wailers were filmed in a closed
door session at The Capitol Records Tower on October 24 by famed producer Denny Cordell, who received the blessing
from Marley to capture the band recording 12 songs. Shooting with four cameras
and mixing “on the fly” to a colorized tape, this footage, has been
painstakingly restored, resulting in an incredible presentation of this unseen
live session.
On September 3, Tuff
Gong and Mercury Studios are proud to present this
concert (almost 50 years after it was recorded): Bob Marley And The Wailers: The Capitol Session ‘73
on DVD+CD, standalone
CD, 2LP pressed on green marble vinyl, 2LP pressed on Rasta swirl vinyl (red,
yellow and green – available exclusively at Sound of Vinyl), and digital
formats. A track from the
set — “Stir It Up” — is available to view here on Youtube.
This session at Capitol Studios represented a unique moment in the
band’s career. Filmed 10 years after their formation, Bob Marley and the Wailers already had several
established hits through the ska and rocksteady eras. Gaining recognition
stateside, including a few shows with Bruce Springsteen at Max’s Kansas City in
NYC, they then went on to tour with Sly and the Family Stone, before they had
been unceremoniously dumped from the tour. This led to the band (Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Joe
Higgs, Aston Barrett, Carlton Barrett, Earl “Wya” Lindo) making their way to
Hollywood to do this session.
The footage from this session was considered lost until a freelance
researcher uncovered a few frames. For over 20 years, archives and storage
units from New York and London to San Diego were tracked down and searched to
retrieve fragments of the film, until it was fully unearthed, restored, and
remastered.
Evolving into a politically and socially charged unit after being
inspired by the US Civil Rights movement, various African liberation efforts,
and Rastafari, which Bob Marley and the Wailers studied from Rasta elders, their music reflected the soul and
struggles of the era. Making poignant statements about life, liberty, and
social justice, the sentiments are imbued in the songs, which are beautifully
brought to life via Bob
Marley and The Wailers: The Capitol Session ‘73.
TRACK LISTING:
1. You Can't Blame The Youth
2. Slave Driver
3. Burnin' And Lootin'
4. Rastaman Chant
5. Duppy Conqueror
6. Midnight Raver
7. Put It On
8. Stop That Train
9. Kinky Reggae
10. Stir It Up
11. No More Trouble
12. Get Up Stand Up
DVD Bonus tracks:
Duppy Conqueror
Rastaman Chant
I know we’ve
run these photos before …
But on the anniversary, it only seemed right to run
them again! (kk)
I found this in the AZ Republic
today. It is some musical history that dates back to 1882.
Today in history:
On this date in 1882, Johnny Ringo was found shot to death in Turkey Creek Canyon in the Chiricahua Mountains.
It pertains to the subject of the mid-'60's Lorne Green not-rock song, "Ringo." Actually, it wasn't a song, it was a narrative. Contrary to the song, the subject met his demise in a beautiful
setting in a remote section of southeast Arizona. Rumor has it that his death
was actually a suicide and not a gun fight as he was found propped up sitting
on a tree branch. My wife and I stumbled on this site while camping in the
mountains in 1974. As in the recently posted Burton Cummings article, we were
also driving a ‘68 GTO with a black vinyl top and there was a case of beer in
the trunk. In January of 2019, we were able to locate and visit the site again,
although this took a little bit of work.
Robert Campbell
