5/2/64 – “The Beatles’ Second Album” goes to #1, replacing
“Meet The Beatles” at the top of the charts, and stays there for five weeks
Well, their second CAPITOL album anyway ...
Capitol Records was basically playing catch-up with this one, releasing in America tracks that had previously been available in England.
"Roll Over Beethoven," "You Really Got A Hold One Me," "Devil In Her Heart," "Money" and "Please Mr. Postman" came from The Beatles' REAL second album (in the UK), "With The Beatles." Capitol finally released both sides of the #1 single originally released in the US on Swan Records, "She Loves You" and "I'll Get You." "Thank You Girl" came from the B-Side of The Beatles' #1 Hit (in England), "From Me To You" ... which incredibly NEVER appeared on a US album until the 1962 - 1966 Greatest Hits set was released in 1973. (It was also a single in the US in 1963 before Beatlemania hit The States, but flopped here, quite possibly because popular American artist Del Shannon already had a minor hit with it. Vee Jay released it again when Beatlemania was in full swing, but this time as the B-Side of "Please Please Me" and it barely made a mark.)
"You Can't Do That" was the flipside of their current single, "Can't Buy Me Love," while "Long Tall Sally and "I Call Your Name" came from a British EP, which also featured their covers of "Slow Down" and "Matchbox," tracks that would appear on the NEXT US Capitol album, "Something New." (They would also be paired as a single here.)
The Beatles would be locked out of the #1 Album spot for the next seven weeks by Louis Armstrong's "Hello Dolly" LP ... but they would return to the top spot in fine fashion with their "A Hard Day's Night" soundtrack LP.
How "I'll Get You" failed to chart is beyond me ... it's a GREAT example of the early Beatles sound. (You guys voted it your FAVORITE, FORGOTTEN B-SIDE several years ago.)
Meanwhile, over in The UK, The Rolling Stones achieve THEIR first #1 Album as their self-titled debut hits the top of the charts to begin a 12-week run.
In all, it will spend a total of 51 weeks on the UK Album Chart.
Also on this day, The Rolling Stones make their first appearance on the US Hot 100 Singles Chart when "Not Fade Away" debuts at #98.
Beatles Manager Brian Epstein signs a deal with Topps Bubble Gum Cards here in The United States that will pay The Beatles $140,000 dollars for the rights to having their pictures included in packages of bubble gum in the USA.
Besides
the much-anticipated new Disney+ Beach Boys documentary, airing beginning May
24th, our buddy Spud tells us about another special Disney+ / Beach
Boys event that’ll allow you to view the new doc a few days early … FOR FREE!!!
Hi everyone!
On Tuesday May 21st, Disney+ and IMAX® will host the “The Beach
Boys: IMAX Live Experience” from Hollywood and it will be live-streamed to 12
IMAX theatres nationwide in the US. Click the link below for a list of all the
theatres it will be showing in and to RSVP with Fandango:
Tickets are free (while supplies last) and everyone who attends will get a commemorative poster
The new documentary “The Beach Boys” will stream exclusively on Disney+
starting May 24th
See you in SF if you’re going! Spud
And Disney+ has FINALLY released the trailer for the
fully-restored “Let It Be” which begins airing just a few days from now (on May
8th) …
Yep … I’m ready to see it again … especially in this
pristine edition!(kk)
If you watched the Lou Gramm news interview video we ran the
other day, you know that Lou had a couple of very specific ideas as to what songs Foreigner should perform at The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony
in October.
But now it sounds like due to the number of nominees being
inducted this year, everybody’s “time slot” has been cut short.(In the past, artists have been able to
perform two or three songs after they give their acceptance speeches … but it
sounds like Foreigner is only being allowed ten minutes.)
Now you may think that’s plenty of time to squeeze in TWO
songs … but six minutes of that time is being eaten up by video tributes from
other artists, congratulating Lou, Mick and the boys for finally getting their
just due.(Wonder if they’ll run the now
infamous Paul McCartney “WTF” clip?!?!)
Lou says there’s no reason that the tribute couldn’t be
trimmed to three minutes to give the band more time to show their stuff … and since the song it sounds like they’re expected
to do, “I Want To Know What Love Is,” a #1 Hit from 1985 (the band’s only #1
Hit in Billboard), Lou is suggesting that they trim the length of THAT song,
too, since it’s so repetitious at the end, so that Foreigner can rock out (it
IS The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, after all) with a long-time concert
favorite, “Juke Box Hero” (which just ALSO happens to be the name of Gramm’s
tour.)
It really doesn’t seem fair to induct an artist for their
lifetime achievement of work and then stymie their ability to showcase what got them there
in the first place.(Personally, the
first song I think of when I think of Foreigner is “Cold As Ice,” which was
their top-voted song in our TOP 3333 MOST ESSENTIAL
CLASSIC ROCK SONGS OF ALL TIMEPoll
that we did a few years ago.Then again,
“Juke Box Hero” is right behind it, coming in at #75 to “Cold As Ice”’s #62
showing.In fact, Foreigner placed TEN
songs in The Top 1000 where, according to YOUR votes, “I Want To Know What Love
Is” was named the 199th Most Essential Classic Rock Song.)kk
From Tom Cuddy, an interesting interview with Burton
Cummings, who better explains his ban on the performance rights to his music …
It’s pretty much as I figured it …
Burton can pick and choose who he allows to perform his
songs live …
And the long-turning “fake” Guess Who are at the very top of
the “Denied” list.(Burton says since
this is only a PERFORMANCE ban, it doesn’t stop airplay of his tunes … so the
fake band has now taken to recording an album of Guess Who material in the
hopes of still getting some recognition.)
But seriously, WHO is going to buy ... or play this?!?!Especially when the REAL thing is out
there!!!
It’s a nice, short, well done interview that gives Burton the opportunity to explain everything …
enjoy!(kk)
New interview:
Burton Cummings lashes out at 'fake Guess Who' …
The Rolling Stones opened their US Tour Sunday Night (4/28) in Houston at the NRG Stadium ... and this was their set list for the opening night of their US tour:
Start Me Up (from Tattoo You, 1981)
Get Off My Cloud (from December’s Children, 1965)
Rocks Off (from Exile On Main Street, 1972)
Out of Time (from Aftermath, 1966)
Angry (from Hackney Diamonds, 2023)
Beast of Burden (from Some Girls, 1978)
Mess It Up (from Hackney Diamonds, 2023)
Tumbling Dice (from Exile On Main Street, 1972)
You Can’t Always Get What You Want (from Let It Bleed, 1969)
Little T&A (from Tattoo You, 1981)
Sympathy for the Devil (from Beggar’s Banquet, 1968)
Gimme Shelter (from Let It Bleed, 1969)
Honky Tonk Woman (single, 1969)
Miss You (from Some Girls, 1978)
Paint It Black (from Aftermath, 1966)
Jumping Jack Flash (single, 1968)
ENCORES:
Sweet Sounds of Heaven (from Hackney Diamonds, 2023)
(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (single 1965)
Sounds like one hell of a show! (kk)
Meanwhile, while The Rolling Stones are making headlines now that their
2024 Tour is underway …
Their former bassist Bill Wyman … who left the band over 30
years ago … tells “The Mirror” that he still regularly dreams of being back out
on tour … in yesteryear.
Ultimate Classic Rock has also put together an interesting list
of 4-Block Albums recorded by artists that best exemplify their careers.
I can’t say that there are any real surprises here … but it
IS interesting to look at the list from this context.(I might disagree with one or two choices …
for example, I always thought “Led Zeppelin III” was the weakest of their first
five releases … but due to the nature of the “four in a row” concept, it HAS to
be included in one fashion or another.I
would have chosen their first four LP’s, as “Led Zeppelin I” was a HUGE musical
breakthrough at the time.UCR opted to
omit that one and include “Physical Graffiti” instead.)
Foreigner’s first four albums made for a VERY impressive start
to a career that ultimately led to their induction into The Rock And Roll Hall
Of Fame (see above)
And has there ever been a more significant or earth changing
block of albums than “Rubber Soul,” “Revolver,” “Sgt. Pepper” and The White
Album??? (Omitting “Magical Mystery Tour” makes sense since it was never really
intended to be an LP … nor was it released that way in England at the time …
but having to exclude “Abbey Road” from this list is heartbreaking!)kk
>>>The call letters signified “The World's Largest Store”(kk)
Or as Larry Lujack would say, "The World's
Largest Strawberry!"
No reason for that that I remember. He just
thought it was funny. And when HE said it, it was!
Dah Buell
Kent,
The WLS 100th anniversary piece was great! Learned a lot of cool stuff
from it. But I have to say that my favorite part begins at 50 minutes in ...
October, 1960. Warm fuzzies!
Found this the other day ... enjoy!
Mike
A while back we got a letter from a reader asking about the
availability of some of the old American Top 40 shows.I know there are a fair amount of collectors
out there but the shows this guy was looking for were from the post-Casey Kasem
/ Shadoe Stevens era.
I am happy to say that we were able to hook him up with a
few year-end shows (and he’s already got another order in the works) …
But if this might happen to be the era that YOU have an
interest in, here’s the original list of available shows we first offered.(Now some of these are most definitely gone
by now … so if you see something you like, please let me know sooner rather
than later to avoid missing out on the chance to add these to your collection.)
kk
Most of these shows are from the 1989 – 1994 era … and
include a few specialty shows …
18 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
20th ANNIVERSARY
4th of JULY SHOW, 1991
and something called "Collectors' Edition - air date
1/26/91 (show #4)
Other assorted shows (dating back to 1989):7-15-89; 11-12-89
1990:4-21-90; 5-12-90;
8-25-90; 9-29-90
1991:1-26-91; 2-23-91;
3-2-91; 3-9-91; 3-16-91; 3-23-91; 4-6-91; 4-20-91; 5-4-91; 6-13-91; 7-1-91* -
4th of July Special; 7-1-91 - NOT the same as the 4th of July; special 7-6-91; 7-29-91;
9-1-91; 9-21-91; 10-26-91; 12-28-91
These are all factory sealed CD's sent right from the show's
producers for airplay on the syndicated stations and include the original
programming notes.(kk)
We went to go see The Simon and
Garfunkel Story last night at our Lied Center here in Lincoln and it was one of
the best music shows I have been to there -- certainly the best tribute show ...
even better than the Beatles ones.
The story is told by the two
singers with photos of the times reflected (not of S&G themselves) from the
era behind them usually. The two LOOKED like S&G, sang just like them
AND the Paul actor played guitar just great as well, even on all of Paul's
intricate guitar work. They had a five-piece band behind them when
needed, so that made them record-worthy sounds.
These two actors, like the REAL
S&G, have been friends since high school together. Out of the 19
chart 45 records they had between 1965 and 1982, they played them all except
for the top 25 hits "The Dangling Conversation," "At the
Zoo," "El Condor Pasa" and "My Little Town."
BUT they played so many early
pre-success songs as well as many B sides and LP cuts galore. Despite
really only releasing four original LPs together (hard to believe), there were
dozens of songs performed to near perfection. Altho not in chronological
order per se, all were usually within a year of each other, so pretty much chronological.
They did all Paul Simon-written songs except for "Bye Bye Love,"
which they recorded on their "Bridge Over Troubled Water" LP and was
a tribute to their Everly heroes when they were young.
We got their early "Hey
Schoolgirl" (as Tom & Jerry) and songs from the non-US issued Paul
solo 1965 UK album "Songbook" ("He Was My Brother,"
"Kathy's Song," "Patterns") as well as great LP cuts like
"Bleeker St", "Richard Cory," "59th St Bridge",
"America," "Old Friends," "Bookends Theme",
"Baby Driver," "Keep The Customer Satisfied," "Only
Living Boy in NY" and more.
One odd moment was their playing
the actual S&G recording of "Voices Of Old People," which many
like me did not really understand getting played.
I can only imagine how great it
was for my brother Steve (and Barb or brother Roger, I think) to see the real
S&G in Wichita in 1969. The set list that night had many of the songs
heard last night:
Anyway, IF you like S&G,
they did all the big hits besides the above listed and will be touring the
world for this and next year. You should think about seeing them.
Here's the website and tour locations:The Simon & Garfunkel Story | Welcome
Clark Besch
We have been wanting to see this for years now … and are
finally going next week.Looking even
MORE forward to it now after reading your great review.Thanks, Clark!(kk)
Brother Roger says he and Steve
and girlfriend Barb all went to see the 1969 Wichita concert mentioned.
From my brother Steve just now:
Glad you got to see
this ... my favorite concert ever was the S&G concert in Wichita ... Paul’s
brother John sat in the row in front of me before the show helping with sound
settings.
Steve
Steve also said Paul was on
Colbert just last week, which was really quite odd. Gets MUCH better
after 12 minutes of weirdness when he says stuff like loathing 59th St
Bridge. Also names HIS fave songs that HE wrote and would play for
himself, etc. Then he gets too deep again for me for the last ten
minutes, haha:
We watched MOST of the new Paul Simon documentary … same
thing … once they moved into the “present day,” it just wasn’t as interesting
for me … we ended up never finishing it (and I have yet to be motivated to put
back on again!)lol (kk)
The other day we told you about the passing of Bucky Wilkin
of Ronny and the Daytonas.
Longtime FH Reader David Lewis just sent us this as a follow
up …
This is a well-written story about Bucky Wilkin a.k.a. Ronny & The
Daytonas. Bucky passed away earlier this month.
Probably not discussing John and Ringo, May Pang and Nancy Lee
Andrews were present at my friend Richard Courtney's house Friday night where
this photo was taken.
I saw that Shakespeare / turned Liverpool
performance when it was broadcast here in the US.Wracking my back of brain memories … I think
it may have been shown on 'Shindig'? Not the whole show though. And so funny
that 'I Wanna Be Your Man' sound had to be edited out because it was over 1
minute and copyrights would apply. Good to see it again. So typical Beatles of
the time.
Shelley
50 Years Ago Today — Sunday,
4/28/1974 — The Most Important Day In ‘Beatlefest’ History!
BY
FEST FOUNDER MARK LAPIDOS
This is my story
(short version)
Little did I know on Friday morning, April 26, 1974, that I would hear an
announcement that would forever alter my life’s direction. It started out
pretty ordinary. I took the bus from NJ to NYC and headed over to Sam Goody,
the flagship store of the biggest record chain in the area, where I was one of
the store managers. By total coincidence, we were having a special on all
Beatles albums that week, and I had all my staff wearing special 10th
Anniversary Beatles shirts provided only to my store by Capitol Records.
It was when I returned home that
evening when I turned on the radio to WABC and heard THAT announcement: John
Lennon and Harry Nilsson would be appearing with Cousin Bruce in Central Park
on Sunday (4/28/74) to support the 1st ever March of Dimes event. That is when
I realized I was going to meet John to tell him my idea of a 10th Anniversary
celebration of The Beatles Arrival in America! I had already thought of the
idea at the end of November, 1973, and booked the Commodore Hotel for the
weekend of September 7-8, 1974. The only thing missing was getting permission
to honor The Beatles (I was an idealistic 26 year old). Of course, everybody
thought I was nuts, but, apparently, that didn’t stop me!
I won’t go into the details here of
how I found out (I have told this story before and will tell it for the first
time in Chicago this Summer), but I did find out where John and Harry were
staying thanks to that 10th Anniversary Beatles Shirt I had on that
day! After their 15-20 minute talk with Cousin Brucie in Central Park in
front of 100,000 people, I went to their hotel and rang the doorbell. Harry
graciously answered the door and let me in, I told John about my idea. He said,
“I’m all for it. I’m a Beatles Fan, too!”
So, within about 40 hours of hearing
that announcement — 50 years ago today — I was sitting with John in his suite
actually telling him all about my convention idea in detail! After that
weekend, I was taken a lot more seriously and just over four months later, it
happened. All of The Beatles donated musical instruments for our Charity
Raffle, but John wanted to personally come down on the Sunday evening to pick
the winner of his signed guitar. Yes, folks, it really did almost happen! Alas,
he changed his mind and went up to his farm for the rest of the weekend. To
this day, it was the biggest secret I EVER had to keep! Today, Sunday, April
28, 2024, Carol, Michelle, Joni and I are heading to Central Park to try to
retrace my steps at the events of that day and video the journey. I am
sure the park has changed in 50 years, but we will give it a try, talk about
what it felt like that day and then head over to the Pierre Hotel on 5th
Avenue. It just doesn't seem possible that 50 years has passed, but they did!!!
Peace and Love,
Mark
I’ve been to more than a few of these … always an exciting
time to meet so many new Beatle fans, both from the day and from all the years
in between.Hoping to make it to the
Chicago event this year, too! (kk)
Dare I scream out "OH NOOOOO!"?
Larry Page --
the man behind so much music and responsible for so many great artists becoming
big -- has died at 86! Just getting the Troggs and Kinks on the map alone
would have been good enough!
Clark
Lots of buzz about the new Johnny Cash
release coming out
Cash recorded an album’s worth of
self-penned tunes in 1993 that never saw the light of day.
Now, thanks to the help of his son John
Carter Cash and co-producer David Ferguson, the world will finally get to hear
these tracks.(kk)
Have you seen this one? The expressions on Johnny's face are priceless!
EXPERIENCE HENDRIX TOUR RETURNS THIS FALL WITH KENNY WAYNE
SHEPHERD, CHRISTONE ‘KINGFISH’ INGRAM ZAKK WYLDE, SAMANTHA FISH, TAJ MAHAL,
ERIC JOHNSON, DWEEZIL ZAPPA, AND OTHER PERFORMERS
TOUR RELAUNCH SET TO BRING GUITAR GREATS TO 24 MARKETS INCLUDING
SEATTLE, LAS VEGAS, SAN DIEGO, HOUSTON, NASHVILLE IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER
For the first time in five years, The Experience Hendrix
Tour, the critically acclaimed multi-artist celebration of Jimi Hendrix’s
musical genius, returns to the concert trail with a slate of concert dates that
offer the musical excellence of numerous topflight artists in celebration of
the life and legacy of Jimi Hendrix. While there was a one-off event date
in Austin, TX, in 2022, the last full-fledged (pre-pandemic) EH tour took place
in 2019. The concept for the Experience Hendrix Tour dates back more than 25
years; what started as a single concert at San Diego’s Street Scene in 2001 and
2002 expanded by 2004 into a full-fledged national tour. This year’s
outing marks the 20th anniversary of the Experience Hendrix Tour. This
year’s tour brings the music of Jimi Hendrix to audiences in the Pacific
Northwest, California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and eastward through Texas,
Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, concluding in Georgia and Florida. Most
fittingly, the tour kicks off on September 19th in Seattle, Jimi Hendrix’s
hometown, at the Paramount Theater.
The tour presents a host of great artists collaborating and
interpreting Hendrix’s legendary songs as part of a powerhouse, three-hour
concert experience. The wide range of multi-generational artists who
participate in a reflection of the ecumenicism of Jimi Hendrix’s classic
repertoire and the diversity of those whose lives have been indelibly affected
by his music. Kenny Wayne Shepherd is one of the major players in
forthcoming edition of the Experience Hendrix Tour and a veteran of previous
EH’s outings. Shepherd, a five-time Grammy nominee and recipient of two
Billboard Music Awards commented, “I’m excited to rejoin the Experience Hendrix
tour this year. It’s always been a great tour with exceptional artists honoring
Jimi Hendrix, the greatest guitar player of all time, and his amazing and
expansive catalog of songs. Being able to do a tour with friends always makes
for a great time and this show is not to be missed.”
Other notable artists who are part of the tour this time out
include the legendary blues icon Taj Mahal, Zakk Wylde, founder of Black Label
Society and most recently part of the reformed Pantera, Mississippi-born blues
wunderkind Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, who is both a Grammy Award winner and
was named Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year at last year’s Blues Music
Awards, guitar greats Eric Johnson and Dweezil Zappa, Mato Nanji from
Indigenous, Calvin Cooke and Chuck Campbell of the Slide Brothers, standard
bearers of the “sacred steel “musical tradition, and vocalist Henri Brown.
Participating artists vary for performance dates so Experience Hendrix concert
goers are encouraged to visit www.experiencehendrixtour.com for specifics about each
of the tour stops.
This year’s tour will also present a host of rising stars
including Texas born and raised blues sensation Ally Venable, who headlined the
60-date European Blues Caravan tour when she was just 20 years old, vocalist
Dylan Triplett, Seattle guitarist Ayron Jones, young Brazilian blues rock
guitarist Arthur Menezes and 20-year-old Mathias Lattin, winner of the
Blues Foundation’s 2023 International Blues Challenge.Other artists joining the tour for select
dates (see below) include Blues Music Award winner Samantha Fish and Stanley
Jordan, the noted jazz guitarist who is an exponent of the two-handed tapping
technique. Beyond these artists, special guests will drop in over the
course of the tour.These
include country music sensation Hunter Hayes, legendary Doors guitarist
Robby Krieger and many others to be announced.
The 2024 Experience Hendrix Tour is sponsored by Marshall,
Fender Musical Instruments, Hal Leonard Publications and Dunlop. Marshall amps
have long been associated with Jimi Hendrix and were his amplifiers of choice
during his career. Fender is now celebrating the 70thanniversary of
the Fender Stratocaster, the guitar most often associated with Jimi Hendrix.
Dunlop makers of gear and accessories, recently launched line of Authentic
Hendrix ’68 Shrine Series of stomp boxes/effects pedals while Hal Leonard, the
world’s largest print music publisher, has long had an association with
Experience Hendrix, L.L.C.
2024 Experience Hendrix Tour dates:
September
19 - Seattle WA - Paramount Theatre
20 - Spokane WA - First Interstate Center for the Arts
21 - Forest Grove OR- Grand Lodge
22 - Reno NV - Grand Theatre/Grand Sierra Resort
25 - Santa Rosa CA - Luther BurbankCenter for the
Arts
26 - Saratoga, CA - The Mountain Winery
27 - Las Vegas NV - Smith Center
28 - Highland CA - Yaamaya Theater
29 - Tucson AZ - Fox Theatre
October
1 - Anaheim CA - City
National Grove
3 - San Diego CA - Rady Shell
4 - Mesa AZ - Mesa Arts Center/Ikeda Theater
5 - Albuquerque NM - Mesa Arts Center/Ikva Auditorium
6 - Colorado Springs CO - Pikes Peak Center
9 - San Antonio TX - Majestic Theatre
10 - Houston TX - Bayou Music Center
11 - Ft. Worth TX - Will Rogers Auditorium
12 - Tulsa OK - River Spirit Casino
13 - Shreveport LA - Shreveport Municipal Auditorium
15 - Nashville TN - Ryman Auditorium
16 - Evans GA - Columbia Country Performing Arts Center
19 – St. Augustine, FL – St. Augustine Amphitheater
From
Ardas Khalsas, some GREAT shots of Neil Young and Crazy Horse performing in San
Diego at The Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre …
Speaking
of tours, Shelley Sweet-Tufano tells us …
Looks
like they caught up with me!!!
Shelley
(They added the
August
3, 2024, at Toyota Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford, CT, that Shelley told us
about, which had previously been missing from their official tour poster.Hmm … I wonder if that’s the show SHE’S going
to!?!?!)kk
And
it sounds like Drew Carey really enjoyed seeing Phish at The Sphere in Las
Vegas last week … and would do just about ANYTHING to see that show again …
In
a tweet published April 22nd, Carey said:
"I swear I just talked to God.I would give you all my money, stick my dick
in a blender and swear off pussy for the rest of my life in exchange for this.
Bro, I met God tonight for real. I feel like I just got saved by Jesus, no
lie."
Apparently, the guys from Phish loved the praise …
and went out of their way to accommodate Drew’s wishes …
Four days later, Carey confirmed
that the band had sent him everything he needed to fulfill his promise.
"Hi Drew! So thrilled that
you could be at the Sphere with us," read the gift card. "Hope you
enjoy this gift and let's do it again."
Guitarist Trey Anastasio even
autographed the Vitamix Blender they sent him: "Thank you Drew! See you next time, Happy
Blending!"
(Be careful what you wish
for!!!)kk
Lots
of musical anniversaries this past week …
First,
from Tom Cuddy …
ROCK
HISTORY: Chicago Released Debut Album 55 Years Ago This Weekend
Sunday, April 28th, marks the 55th anniversary of the release of
“Chicago Transit Authority,” the debut album by the band we came to know simply
as Chicago. The
two-LP set reached No. 17 on the Billboard
200 and was eventually certified double-platinum, launching
the singles “Questions 67 and 68,” “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?”
and “Beginnings.”
The band was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New
Artist in 1970, while the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2014
for its 45th anniversary.
Chicago shortened its name after the
album’s release rather than facing legal threats from the actual Chicago
Transit Authority in its hometown. The band has continued ever since and was
inducted into the Rock
and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016. It also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in
2020.
Founding members Robert Lamm, Lee Loughnane and James Pankow continue to
lead Chicago, which will be touring this summer with Earth, Wind & Fire.
Catching Fire – The Story of Anita Pallenberg, debuts in New
York as a sneak preview at 7:30 pm at IFC Center on Thursday, May 3, 2024 and
may open at more theaters at a later date, and on VOD.
This fascinating documentary
comes from Magnolia Pictures.
It’s directed by Alexis Bloom
and Svetlana Zill, with the words of Anita Pallenberg read by Scarlett
Johansson from Pallenberg’s unpublished memoir. It was an Official Selection
2023 Cannes Film Festival
CATCHING FIRE: THE STORY OF
ANITA PALLENBERG is about a woman who was at many points in her life a
newspaper headline: Anita Pallenberg was a “rock n’ roll goddess,” a “voodoo
priestess,” and an “evil seductress.” She was accused of trying to break up the
Rolling Stones, among other things. But those who loved her considered her an
exciting cultural force, and a loving mother – and innocent of the accusations.
Never-seen-before home movies and family photographs explore life with the
Rolling Stones and tell a bittersweet tale of both triumph and heartbreak. From
Barbarella to the Swiss Alps, and the Lower East Side to London, Anita
Pallenberg was a creative force ahead of her time.
Media materials provided include
the Director’s Statement which further describes this captivating movie.
“’Catching Fire’ is a truly
hand-made film by two directors motivated by the desire to create something
lasting, and personal. It’s a film about family, made by family: Alexis and
Svetlana were brought the idea in 2020 by Marlon Richards, the son of Anita
Pallenberg and Keith Richards, who wanted his mother’s story to be told in all
its complexity. The directors have worked closely with Anita’s inner circle
over the course of three years, and the result is a private view of a life that
was often lived in public. The Super 8mm home movies woven throughout the
documentary are the purest expression of this intimacy.
“’Catching Fire’ is very much an
expression of the honesty and love in Anita’s family, but it’s no hagiography.
Anita was famous for her biting sense of humor and her contempt of false
praise. This film bucks the trend of “branded content” and “celebrity bios” by
embracing both the bitter and the sweet, the heartbreak as well as the triumph.
Anita Pallenberg is a true anti-hero, an antidote to corporate messaging. The
directors approached the film as an act of historical reclamation: putting the
female perspective back in the official narrative of rock ‘n’ roll, making
Anita visible again.
“For Alexis and Svetlana, ‘Catching
Fire’ was a deliberate recalibrating of history, and a celebration of an
unapologetic leader. Anita was doubtless a muse to many, and she continues to
be an inspiration to the directors. In the words of one of Anita’s
grandchildren: ‘Anita was the original gangster; she was ‘girl power’ to the
end.’ Alexis and Svetlana developed the film with the conviction that something
this personal can become universal. Anita struggled to balance her own
professional life with the needs of her partner, motherhood with a desire for
freedom – her themes are absolutely contemporary. The directors hope that
Anita’s humor – and theirs - shine through a story that’s unsparing at times.
Anita took risks, and so did the directors: this is an immersive documentary
with a style and rhythm all of its own.”
“Catching
Fire” is enhanced by a deep archive of rare, unseen photos and home videos. This
film truly reveals Pallenberg’s many facets and assets.
It’s very obvious Keith Richards
still harbors tender feelings for Pallenberg, and in one reflection summarizes
her, “She was a unique piece of work.”
In “Catching Fire,” Anita finally
has a forum to define herself. As she says in her memoir, “Writing this has
helped me emerge in my own eyes.”
The cast includes Prince
Stanislas Klossowski de Rola, Kate Moss, Angela Richards, Keith Richards,
Marianne Faithfull, and Marlon Richards.
In April, I saw an advance
screening of “Catching Fire” with photographer and music journalist Heather
Harris. She reinforced to me again that Pallenberg surpassed her gorgeous
European fashion model classification “by seeming to be, to all who encountered
her, one of the most reckless extroverts to ever stride the planet.”
Heather emailed
me about “Catching Fire”:
“Her great-grandfather painted one of the most famous, genuine
Goth paintings of all time, ‘Isle of the Dead,’ 1880, oil on canvas by Arnold
Bocklin, a work of immeasurable dread as a coffin-laden hearse-barge is rowed,
lapping on a lake in the dark of night, towards its ominous namesake.
“But Anita Pallenberg attained notoriety for a far different
fate, first as the major non-audio influencer of the nascent Rolling Stones,
then as an almost worst-case scenario victim of, then survivor of that band's
most notorious excesses. Younger music fans of Classic Rock are said to lack
context in which to fathom the import of what they're hearing. ‘Catching Fire:
The Story of Anita Pallenberg’ is a newly released documentary that treads a
long ways to rectify that.
“Make no mistake, Pallenberg's absence in the band history would
have begat a far different Rolling Stones. No matter how superior the music is
in and of itself, do not underestimate the importance of strong visuals in
modern popular music. We have five senses, and they all work together. And she
plugged her own volcanic life force directly into the Stones at just the right
minute of the 1960s, which indeed helped codify The World's Greatest Rock and
Roll Band.
“She insured they looked different from their frenemies and
fellow tastemakers / leaders of all pop culture the Beatles during the style
turbulence of the '60s.
“As rock and roll couturier Evita Corby noted (not in the film) ‘Brian
Jones, Keith Richards and Anita Pallenberg constantly looked like they all wore
one another's clothes,’ which indeed they did, ‘And that they just threw their
favorite garments together daily, with zero regard to a matched, put together
look’ unlike everyone else in the music biz, fashion biz or even the
avant-garde. The resultant mode was Unisex in exotic textiles reflecting
worldwide travels alongside cherry-picked exemplars from Granny Takes A Trip
appropriated idiosyncratically to their own custom tailors via Pallenberg's
personal, outsider taste.
“The doc traces her complexity far beyond her libertine persona
familiar to music fans from her years with Keith Richards (and Brian Jones.)
Her maternal side is well presented by the movie's producer, her erudite son
Marlon Richards, and one of the two Weber brothers who lived when youngsters
with Keith and Anita in their Nellcote villa in the south of France, invited to
do so when their mother committed suicide and their father had understandable
trouble coping.
“Directors Alexis Bloom and Svetlana Zill chose the classical
music also used in the film Barry Lyndon to subtly underscore the tragedies in
her later life, some of, some not of her own decision-making, often clouded by
the extreme distraction of taking narcotics. The fabled sexiness speaks for
itself in clips of her leading roles in the films Performance, Barbarella and A
Degree of Murder.
“People who encountered her briefly invariably called this
beautiful woman ‘scary.’ Folks who knew her better called her ‘intelligent, and
a tough cookie.’ The slow, deliberate narration by her friends avoids any
tempting cliche of having jumpy-cut style or cinematography to match the ‘wildness’
of the '60s, thankfully. But there is the puzzling choice of having my fellow
American Scarlett Johansson voicing Pallenberg's own written words.
Pallenberg's own vocals were a mashup of Marlene Dietrich's smoky sophistication
and Joan Greenwood's seductive purr (Greenwood, in fact, was her dubbed voice
as the Great Tyrant in Barbarella. Same tone and timbre, but just by the then
entertainment world's sexiest plummy voice.) It is jarring, but doesn't inhibit
enjoyment of the film. And the home movies footage throughout the documentary
is nothing short of incredible.”
In 1965, it was my brother, Kenneth Kubernik, an author and
musician, who showed me a photo of Anita in a magazine.
In 2024, he viewed a screener of “Catching Fire” and emailed me
his response to this stunning cinematic portrait of Anita.
"Those twilight feline eyes; a mouth set to snarl, not
purr; legs built to stalk, ever conscious of a prey drive that bordered on
ravenous. Anita Pallenberg was built from exotic animal parts, as
rarefied as a snow leopard and just as agile, just as willful. She didn't
arrive on the scene so much as blow up the entire toxic patriarchy that defined
the British rock aristocracy of the deathless '60s. Brian, Keith, Mick
and all of their pimply devotees became bewitched by her palpable allure.
“At that time, London was choc-a-bloc with Dolly birds sashaying
along Kings Road in their Mary Quant minis and their white Courreges
boots. Along comes Anita, resplendent in Berber batik, a splash of Bosch
and the hauteur of a Barbary coast buccaneer. It wasn't Keith who Depp
was copping in those silly films; it was Anita who cast that piratical
spell.
“Her life was a series of escapades and escapes, a survivor of
the vicious misogyny that drove the music culture of her time like a runaway
train. Wild horses couldn't drag her away.
“The hotly-anticipated documentary of her tempestuous life – “Catching
Fire; The Story of Anita Pallenberg” - exceeds all expectations. The
discovery of an unpublished memoir provides a vital narrative backbone (her
words read by Scarlett Johansson in her distinctive single malt voice) that
delivers three ABKCO era Stones tracks, which were licensed for the soundtrack …
the rest a pastiche of bluesy British punchins. That's enough - we're all
better off with just a taste.
“Marianne Faithfull, a unicorn in her own right, said tellingly
about her: ‘I often used to think that if one spent the evening with Anita, one
could very easily get killed.’ There are worse ways to exit this mortal
coil."
I finally saw The Greatest Night In Pop / We Are The World special …
It’s every bit as good as you and others said it was … even Better!
Sam Tallerico
Beloved Hollywood Icon WILLIAM SHATNER Unveils New Single
& Lyric Video From His First Ever Children’s Album Where Will The
Animals Sleep? - Songs For Kids And Other Living Things!
One of the greatest storytellers of
his generation, a scion of the stage, master of the musical performance and
fearless artistic innovator is facing his toughest audience yet - kids! William
Shatner, beloved Star Trek actor and real-life space traveler, proudly presents
his newest musical project, an ingenious, infectious and thoroughly
entertaining album, Where Will The Animals Sleep? - Songs For Kids And Other
Living Things! This 13-song project unites the talents of Shatner with
longtime guitarist for They Might Be Giants, Dan Miller, and award-winning YA
novelist Robert Sharenow, who together create a menagerie of characters drawn
from the animal kingdom who sing and dance and share their stories on this
whimsical and educational release. Mr. Shatner declares, “This is a children’s
album but I think children of all ages will be intrigued and entranced at the
songs that are on this album!”
So come along on a wondrous journey
through the natural world with William Shatner as your guide and narrator
through the sticky sweet adventures of the honey bee, to the majesty of bird
migrations, to the hidden world of the Coral Sea, and the secret communication
between mushrooms and trees.
For a preview of what’s to come,
check out the album’s first single “Elephants And Termites,” a hilarious and
captivating look at the unique symbiotic relationship between the large, itchy
elephants and the tiny termites whose nests provide the perfect scratching
post. The song, as well as the album, is sure to inspire and cultivate a love
for creatures of all kinds, shape and size!
Where Will The Animals Sleep? -
Songs For Kids And Other Living Things will be available on all formats including CD and vinyl
starting May 17. Order your copy today!
TRACK LIST
1. Elephants And Termites
2. Oh My Honeyguide
3. 7000 Miles On A Non-Stop Flight
4. Barnacle Bill The Sailor
5. Chomp, Chomp, Chomp
6. Mushrooms Talk To Trees
7. Where Would The Animals Sleep?
8. Aphids And Ants
9. I'm A Coral See In The Coral Sea
10. The Rhino's Guard
11. Why Do We Bug You
12. Secret Agent Whale
13. Birdsong Symphony
I know we’ve already treated you to TWO Johnny Cash videos
today …
But when I came across this one, I just HAD to share …
Check out Johnny Cash and Tony Joe White, having a WHOLE
lotta fun singing Tony’s big Top Ten Hit from 1969, “Polk Salad Annie” …
