Good Old-Fashioned Forgotten Hits

The other day I mentioned that I have been listening to more of the Rewound Radio WLS / WCFL Labor Day Weekend radio special and enjoying hearing some of these songs that were new at the time ... before any of us knew if they were going to be hits yet or not ... or long-lasting parts of our lives' soundtrack.  Every track was a new discovery.

Sometimes it's obvious - you just know the minute you first hear it, that this one is destined for greatness ... and timelessness.

Others still strike a chord within us ... even if they happen fall off the radio radar, they still provide a long-lasting memory.

And then there are some that make it where you find yourself scratching your head and wondering how and why, even some fifty years later!

I heard the 1970 hit "Neanderthal Man" by Hotlegs the other day on one of these old tapes.  Now nationally, this one only got to #22 in Billboard ... but it climbed to #11 in Record World.  (Cash Box placed it at #20 on their weekly chart)

But here in Chicago, it made The Top Five, landing at #4 on the WLS chart and #5 across the river on WCFL.  (WLS and WCFL were my whole world when it came to music in 1970 ... and a #11 national showing, even in hindsight, ain't too shabby either ... so as far as I'm concerned, this was a bonafide hit record.)

There's no great hook to this song ... no great lyric ... no impressive singing or instrumentation ... in fact, if anything, it's essentially just a drone ... a constant rhythmic beat that never really goes anywhere, almost hypnotic in a way.  (Maybe that was its appeal ... we hadn't heard anything like this before, promoted on a "pop level."   I cannot help but wonder if perhaps it subliminally inspired Lindsey Buckingham's "Tusk" in some fashion nine years later.)

"Neanderthal Man" would prove to be a One Hit Wonder for Hotlegs ... but we WOULD hear from all of these guys again a few years later when band members Kevin Godley, Lol Creme and Eric Stewart formed 10cc, who had a couple of hits with songs that actually had real words, real music and real melodies!  (In fact, those hits, "The Things We Do For Love" and "I'm Not In Love," have become a major part of the Classic Rock landscape, ranking at #225 and #307 respectively on our list of THE TOP 3333 MOST ESSENTIAL CLASSIC ROCK SONGS OF ALL TIME)

For this new venture, Stewart recruited his old bandmate Graham Gouldman to play bass.  Stewart and Gouldman had topped the charts a couple of times before in the mid-'60's with the hits "Game Of Love" and "A Groovy Kind Of Love" while they were both members of The Mindbenders.  Between gigs, Graham Gouldman kept busy by writing a number of hits for other artists, most notably "For Your Love" and "Heart Full Of Soul" for The Yardbirds, "Bus Stop" and "Look Through Any Window" for The Hollies and "East, West" and "No Milk Today" for Herman's Hermits.  Years later, Stewart teamed with Paul McCartney for a couple of projects ... while Godley and Creme morphed into a duo (get it?) and scored a Top 20 Hit in 1985 with "Cry."

There's a good chance you'll hear MOST if not all of those songs from time to time these days ... and some nearly every day ...

But when's the last time you heard "Neanderthal Man" by Hotlegs???

See ... that's what Forgotten Hits is for!  (kk) 

[Chant along if you like!] 

Insights Into ... Our 2022 Insights Feature

INSIGHTS INTO FINAL CHAPTER:

Last week we wrapped up the final chapter in our special "Insights Into" Series, all based on the EXCELLENT book series put together by Jeff March and Marti Smiley Childs, "Where Have All The Pop Stars Gone."

 

Jeff and Marti

I, for one, hate to see it end ...as I have derived SO much enjoyment from reading their books over the years, each one spotlighting a variety of artists who provided the soundtrack to our lives in the '60's.

But it doesn't have to end for you ...

If you haven't already done so along the way, click on any of the links below and start to build your own collection of "Where Have All The Pop Stars Gone" books.  If you love the music of the '60's as much as we do, then you will DEFINITELY enjoy learning so much more about the artists who created it ... and all in their own words, too!

All four volumes are available through their EditPros Website …

Marti Smiley Childs and Jeff March

• Echoes of the Sixties

• Where Have All the Pop Stars Gone? Volume 1

• Where Have All the Pop Stars Gone? Volume 2

• Where Have All the Pop Stars Gone? Volume 3

 

I just wanted to take just one more minute to say another quick round of thank yous to both again for doing these for us – it has an extra bonus treat every month when your piece runs in FH.  (If you happen to have missed any of these along the way, simply scroll back to the 15th of every month this year to read each special installment.)

 

I couldn't wrap things up without telling you once again how much I love and have enjoyed your books over the years ... and I would LOVE to see more coming!  But I also understand if you’ve decided to wrap things up.  

 

I was thinking that maybe as one, final wrap up piece, you might tell us who else was on your bucket list that you would have liked to talk to?

And who did you miss out on simply because they were simply gone too soon?

 

And finally, did anybody ever give you a flat out “Sorry, no … not interested?” 

 

(And, with that thought in mind, who was your hardest “get”?)

kk

 

Hi Kent –

We hope that your readers have been enjoying these monthly segments, and we applaud you for being the keeper of the flame for these many talented musicians and their timeless recordings.

 

We really had only a few other people on our bucket list at the time we decided to conclude the series. We did intentionally overlook a few bands because too few members remained. Several performers turned us down for various reasons: some because they were working on or anticipating books of their own; some who were too busy to engage in a lengthy conversation (we typically chatted with performers for two to four hours, sometimes encompassing two or more conversations); a few who wanted to be paid to speak with us (which we couldn’t afford to do, and which we thought would be unfair to the performers who weren’t compensated); a few who simply declined our request to pry into their personal lives (which is understandable); some declined to speak with us because we already had spoken with other band members with whom they were feuding; and a few more who were upset that we had obtained their personal phone numbers (and we understood and respected their reticence). We don’t want to say who those folks were because it would sound like sour grapes. And while a couple of performers took weeks to deliberate before agreeing to speak with us, most of the performers about whom we wrote readily and enthusiastically agreed — largely because we offered them the opportunity to read our manuscripts drafts and correct any inadvertent errors prior to publication. 

 

Marti and I were happy that for the four books, we spoke with 105 performers about the directions their lives had taken after their songs faded from the charts. Many remained in the music field in various capacities, but collectively, they held 160 jobs other than performing or recording music after stepping away from the spotlight. Some performers reluctantly left music seeking other kinds of work simply to earn a steady income. But others pursued different fields that they believed would be more personally rewarding or would enable them to better serve humanity. Learning where these recording artists had gone in pursuit of happiness and fulfillment was our objective in writing the "Where Have All the Pop Stars Gone?" series, and we're grateful that so many performers willingly discussed that with us.

 

Sincerely and with best regards,

Jeff, with regards from Marti  

 

ADDITIONAL THANKS: 

 

As we reach the end of another year (our 23rd!!!), we'd like to take a moment to thank some of our other 2022 "partners" who provided on-going monthly and weekly features.

 

Besides Jeff March and Marti Smiley-Childs, this would include people like Phil Nee, who provided us with some of the incredible interviews he’s done over the years …

 

These ran every Saturday this past year in Forgotten Hits … and it was a Who’s Who list of musical celebs who graced our pages.

 

Special thanks, too, to Gary Strobl for his Magical Monkees Memories segments, as well as the pages he has shared from Henry Diltz’s Journal …

 

Thanks to Chuck Buell and Harvey Kubernik and Shelley Sweet-Tufano for helping us fill some of the many slots in the schedule this past year …

 

And guys like Tom Cuddy and Tom Diehl and Jack Levin and Sam Talerico and Randy Price and Ron Onesti and Clark Besch and Rick O’Dell and Paul Haney and Ted Smucker and Allan Sniffen and Gary Theroux and David Salidor and Scott Shannon and Larry Neal and Mike Wolstein and Pam Pulice and Bob Merlis and Jim Peterik and Paul Evans and Geoff Dorsett and Frank Merrill and Ron Riley and Scott Paton and Ken Voss and several others who helped out behind the scenes.

 

People keep asking me, “So, what have you got planned for next year?” … and the plain and simple answer is “Nothing.”

 

That’s right …

 

For the first time EVER, I am entering into a new year with absolutely no prep … and that has never happened before.

 

But my schedule has changed so drastically in the past year that I seldom have the time to prepare in advance anymore.

 

What does that mean?

 

Less posts probably … but more timely ones because there won’t be so many “pre-scheduled commitments” blocking me from bringing you the latest in oldies news.  This should also help to free me up a bit more to react to whatever may be going on at that moment in time … and leave me open to be inspired by some of YOUR conversations as they come up, providing opportunities to explore new avenues.

 

If I’m being totally honest, I am cautiously looking forward to it!

 

But after 23 years of doing this, I think I want year #25 to be the one that everybody remembers ... so I may just "coast" a little bit next year in order to do more foundation prep for Year #25.  (Of course, I've been saying I'll be doing fewer posts for the past ten years now ... and yet 2022 ended up being over 400 posts once again ... so it's anybody's guess as to what 2023 may bring!!!)

 

Those of you who have been with us for a while know that our focus has never changed … it has always been all about the music … and keeping the memories alive … and we will continue to do just that within these pages.

 

But it really only works the way it’s supposed to work when you guys get involved …

 

So please, keep those cards and letters comin’!!!

 

And we’ll all experience 2023 together!  (kk)

Forgotten Hits Remembers Charlie Gracie

 

We were VERY sad to hear that early rock pioneer Charlie Gracie passed away on Saturday, December 17^th.  He was 86.

 

Charlie and his son, Charlie, Jr., were long-time friends of Forgotten Hits … and we were always happy to promote his latest efforts, both in the way of new music he had been recording or his annual trips to perform in England where he was still a HUGE star and revered by many of the ‘60’s British artists that we knew and loved, including Paul McCartney (who covered Charlie’s “Fabulous” for his “Run Devil Run” LP) and Graham Nash (shown below with Charlie and Stephen Stills)

 

Over the years we ran dozens and dozens of photos of “Charlie and Friends” in Forgotten Hits.

 

Charlie’s first hit, “Butterfly” (also recorded by Andy Williams) went to #1 in 1957 and helped to launch the Philadelphia-based Cameo / Parkway Record label.  (They "shared" the #1 position in most publications ... because that's the way the charts were done back then ... here's a photo of Charlie and Andy at a reunion some fifty years later!)

Philadelphia was considered the center of the rock and roll universe there for a while, especially after Dick Clark started broadcasting American Bandstand from there!  (Charlie and Dick below)

And Cameo / Parkway was home to a number of major artists in the ‘60’s, including Chubby Checker, Bobby Rydell, The Orlons, Dee Dee Sharp, The Dovells and several others. (kk)

 

Charlie with Frankie Avalon and Fabian ...

 

 

Charlie ... the Mrs., his wife, Joan ... and Freddy Cannon ...

 

With Tommy James ...

And Al Jardine and Billy Hinsche ...

Vintage Charlie ... with Eddie Cochran

 

 

With Bowzer ...

 

 

And still rockin', right up till the end ...

Thanks for all the great memories, Charlie!  (kk)

 

From our FH Buddy Shawn Swords ...

Who did that great Charlie Gracie Documentary a few years ago ...

Our beloved Charlie Gracie is now singing with The Angels. 

 

Charlie was an extraordinary performer and an even better person. Charlie didn't have fans ... he had friends. He embraced and befriended all of the performers and fans he met and interacted with over the years. He was what all performers should be ... humble, accessible and grateful. He performed at hundreds of benefits, fundraisers and friend's milestone events over the years without recompense. He was always available to chat with friends who reached out to him from all over the world who were experiencing difficult times or just missed him and wanted to hear his voice. 

 

He could have been extremely embittered for having his mainstream career circumvented by powerful men in the music industry who didn't appreciate him holding them accountable for artist royalties.  Instead, he reinvented himself as a multi-faceted live performer who was second to none at interacting with and befriending his audience. He always gave 100 percent.  It didn't matter if it was a large prestigious venue, a Jersey Shore bar or a neighborhood bar in Delco ... his audience always got their money's worth and his eternal gratitude. 

 

He Gracied the life of everyone he interacted with over a 70+ year career. 

 

There won't be another Charlie.

 

You can watch Charlie Gracie "Fabulous" online free at:

 

(261) American Veterans Media - YouTube

 

"Fabulous" is Charlie's life story and has been exhibited over 2,000 times on PBS affiliates and is in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Archives.

 

We Love You, Charlie! 

SS 

 

And Bob Merlis, on behalf of ABKCO, who now administers all of the Cameo / Parkway material ...

 

It has been revealed that rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Charlie Gracie died this past Friday, December 16. The news of his passing came from his family via ABKCO Records, home to the catalog of Cameo Records, the Philadelphia label for which he recorded and released his biggest hits. 

 

Barely out of his teens, Charlie Gracie joined the fledgling Cameo label in 1956 and hit with “Butterfly,” the single going to #1 on Billboard’s pop chart the following year, despite a battle with Andy Williams’ cover version of the song. He would go on to tour with Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, The Everly Brothers, Bo Diddley and Eddie Cochran and star in the 1957 film Jamboree. He found an early market in the UK where he enjoyed a string of chart successes including “Fabulous,” “I Love You So Much It Hurts,” “Wanderin’ Eyes,” “Cool Baby” and the aforementioned “Butterfly.” A venerated figure in the British rock community, he was showered with plaudits from the likes of George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Peter Noone, Jeff Beck, Graham Nash, Van Morrison, Cliff Richard and Paul McCartney. Both McCartney and Richard recorded versions of “Fabulous” in tribute and Morrison chose Gracie to be his 2000 West Coast Tour opener. 

 

Born Charles Anthony Graci, the Philadelphia native was encouraged early in life to pursue the guitar and singing. At the age of 15½, he recorded his first single, “Boogie Woogie Blues,” for Cadillac Records. He continued to perform the song throughout his career, including his very last performance in April of this year.  He appeared on the Paul Whiteman TV show at the age of 16 in 1952, two years before he graduated from South Philadelphia High School. 

 

Performing at social functions while doing his best to start a recording career, his signing to Cadillac Records led to an appearance on American Bandstand, then hosted by Bob Horn, four years before Dick Clark’s arrival on the show. His recordings for Cadillac, and, later, 20^th Century Records, though not particularly successful in a commercial sense, underscored his connection to blues and country music reflecting the influence of Big Joe Turner, B.B. King and Hank Williams. His was the classic “birth of rockabilly” story but with a twist as it was set in Philadelphia rather than below the Mason-Dixon line. With his Cameo affiliation, Gracie’s career took off as “Butterfly” sold two million copies and established the label as one of the industry’s leading independents. 

 

Within the next year, Gracie toured Great Britain twice, leaving a lasting impression. Graham Nash commented about when Gracie played his native Manchester, “We had been waiting for many weeks for the show. It was a great night of this 'new music' and was enjoyed by all who were there. It raised and strengthened my spirits to know that I was not wrong when I sought out, strived for and finally loved this feeling, this desire, to make music, to communicate through music ... to get it out ...”

 

After his tenure with Cameo concluded, Gracie continued to tour, recording for such labels as Coral, Roulette, Felsted and Diamond, with performance dates in the US, as well as the UK and throughout Europe. More recently, he affiliated with Lancaster PA-based Lanark Records, whose owner, Quentin Jones, produced two Charlie Gracie albums. In 2006, ABKCO released his entire Cameo output on The Best of Charlie Gracie: Cameo Parkway 1956-1958.

 

In 2011, ABKCO released For The Love of Charlie, a new studio album produced by Al Kooper and Quentin Jones with guest appearances by Peter Noone, Graham Nash and Jimmy Vivino.  Kooper, whose career goes back to his days with The Royal Teens of “Short Shorts” fame, had played on Bob Dylan’s “Like A Rolling Stone” and was a member of the Blues Project, founder of Blood, Sweat & Tears and discovered and produced Lynyrd Skynyrd, commented at the time, “Charlie was a big part of my growing up in terms of influence on me in my rockabilly period that came after my doo wop phase. I play in a rockabilly trio every now and then, though ‘Butterfly’ and ‘Fabulous’ aren’t in the repertoire because there are some things you can't touch.”   

 

That same year, on his 75th Birthday, he recorded "Baby Doll," his first single in over 50 years to receive UK airplay on the BBC. Issued by RED/Sony, the record entered the US Top 100 on Mediabase's Top 40 Chart. 

 

Charlie Gracie was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame as well as the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame. The Philadelphia Music Alliance honored him with a plaque on the Philadelphia Walk of Fame on the Avenue of the Arts and there is a Charlie Gracie Avenue in Wildwood, NJ, at Oak and Atlantic Avenues, the site of the Bolero Club where he often performed.  Gracie is the subject of the documentary Fabulous that aired on PBS stations; his autobiography, Rock & Roll’s Hidden Giant: The Story of Rock Pioneer Charlie Gracie, was published in 2015 with an endorsement from Paul McCartney. He is survived by Joan, his wife of more than 60 years, daughter Angela Gracie, son Charlie Gracie, Jr., daughter-in-law Kim Gracie and brother Frank Gracie. 

 

Taking stock of his “Fabulous” career in recent times, Charlie Gracie wrote, “When all is said and done … I’m still little Charlie Gracie from South Philly, who sings and plays the guitar. If you ever came to see me perform – and you found yourself entertained – and I made you happy for a few hours, then I’ve fulfilled my mission in this life. I’m eternally grateful to God for that opportunity!”