Thursday, November 19, 2015

Thursday This And That

re:  P.F. Sloan:   
Hey kk! 
Did anyone notice the timing of P F SLOAN's departure?
Ironic!
If this is not the eve of destruction ... then what the heck is it?
Lookin' 'round boy!
Vibeman   

We lost a true legend in P.F. Sloan! What great songs he wrote solo & with Steve Barri. RIP  
Ken
His hit list is quite impressive ... he certainly helped provide the Soundtrack to the '60's!
(Here's the list of hits Wikipedia ran)  kk
Year Song Original artist U.S. Hot 100 Other versions
1964 "Kick That Little Foot Sally Ann" Round Robin 61
"Summer Means Fun" Bruce & Terry 72 Fantastic Baggys (1964); Jan & Dean(1966)
"One Piece Topless Bathing Suit" The Rip Chords 96 Jan & Dean (1966)
"Unless You Care" Terry Black 99 #2 in Canada[8]
1965 "(Here They Come) From All Over the World" Jan & Dean 56 #9 in Canada
"I Found A Girl" Jan & Dean 30 #2 in Canada
"Eve of Destruction" Barry McGuire 1 #1 in Canada, #3 in Britain,[9] The Turtles (1970 – #100); P.F. Sloan (1965); The Grass Roots (1966); D.O.A.(1982); The Screaming Jets (1997)
"Let Me Be" The Turtles 28 #14 in Canada, P.F. Sloan (1966)
"Take Me For What I'm Worth" The Searchers 76 P.F. Sloan (1965)
"Child of Our Times" Barry McGuire 72
"The Sins of a Family" P.F. Sloan 87 Murray the K (1965)
"Little Liar" Terry Black - #10 in Canada[10]
1966 "A Must to Avoid" Herman's Hermits 8 #3 in Canada, #6 in Britain[9]
"You Baby" The Turtles 20 #11 in Canada, The Grass Roots (1966);The Mamas and the Papas (1966)
"Where Were You When I Needed You" The Grass Roots 28 #12 in Canada, Herman's Hermits (1966), The Adult Net (1989, #66 in Britain)[9]
"Secret Agent Man" Johnny Rivers 3 #4 in Canada, Mel Torme (1966); The Ventures (1966 – #54); Devo (1979),Bruce Willis (1987, #43 in Britain),[9]Blues Traveler (1995)
"Only When You're Lonely" The Grass Roots 96
"Can I Get to Know You Better" The Turtles 89
1967 "Another Day, Another Heartache" The Fifth Dimension 45 #41 in Canada
"Things I Should Have Said" The Grass Roots 23 #9 in Canada
"Wake Up, Wake Up" The Grass Roots 68 #18 in Canada

Got this obituary from long-time FH Reader Blossmwrld ...

Hi Kent ... 
I am sending this along. 
P.F. Sloan made some important contributions to the music world with some great classics. To quote Billy Joel, "They don't write them like that anymore." 
P.F. Sloan, the songwriting great behind classic singles like Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction" and Johnny Rivers' "Secret Agent Man," died Sunday evening after a short bout with pancreatic cancer, according to multiple news sources.  
He was 70. "Phil was a key element on the music that became the sound of the Sunset Strip. Phil was a true prodigy, signing his first record deal with Aladdin Records when he was 13," Sloan's reps said in a statement. 
"P.F. Sloan's 'Eve Of Destruction' was an anthem for a generation. It is as relevant now as it ever has been." After recording his debut single "All I Want Is Loving" / "Little Girl in the Cabin", the still-teenaged Sloan got a job with music publisher Screen Gems, who hired Sloan to work with the surf rock duo Jan and Dean. Sloan then moved to Dunhill Records, where he wrote hit songs for artists such as Herman's Hermits, the Turtles, the Searchers, the Grass Roots and Barry McGuire.  
McGuire was the recipient of Sloan's best-known song, "Eve of Destruction," a catchy single that predicted the anti-war protests and civil rights movement surfacing in the U.S. during the 1960s. "Eve of Destruction" hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1965. Bob Dylan once said of "Eve of Destruction," which was originally penned with the Byrds in mind, "There are no more escapes. If you want to find out anything that's happening now, you have to listen to the music. I don't mean the words. Though, 'Eve Of Destruction' will tell you something about it." Sloan was also a singer, recording a handful of solo albums over the past decades. In 2014, Sloan released his last album, "My Beethoven," as well as his memoir, "What’s Exactly the Matter With Me?"

Here's a nice piece on P.F. Sloan, written by Jim Bessman ...

Bessman also wrote a real nice piece on Allen Toussaint ...

re:  Johnny Sings:  
>>>This is supposed to be the ONLY time Johnny Carson sang in public!  This show is at Kiel Opera House in St Louis in June, 1965, when Johnny Carson hosted the Tonight Show. The Rat Pack were playing Vegas, but visited Carson for this wonderfully entertaining performance. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Johnny Carson, and to top it off Quincy Jones was conducting the Count Basie band, and he is visible in the background. 
(DJ Stu Weiss)
Regarding Johnny Carson singing only once "in public" ... not really.  Carson also quite famously sang "Our Love Is Here To Stay" as a duet with Pearl Bailey on "The Tonight Show."   That live recording was later issued on vinyl as a track on the Casablanca "Magic Moments from 'The Tonight Show'" LP package.
Gary Theroux
You'll catch the song right after the seven minute mark ... but the dialog leading up to it is probably even MORE entertaining!  (Pearl Bailey telling Carson that she doesn't need the microphone because she started singing before there was electricity is hysterical!!!)
And here's a link to the album Gary is referring to ... a VERY abbreviated clip from the song "Our Love Is Here To Stay": 

re:  More Wild Wayne Interview Snippets:
As long as FH Reader Frank B keeps sending us interesting factoids about some of our favorite pop stars, we'll keep running them. 

Here are just a few more from the Wild Wayne archives ...

Kent ...
Here are a couple of Wild Wayne's Interview Quickies ...
Interview Date:  April 2, 1977:  Joey Dee
Joey told Wild Wayne that he was doing background vocals.  He wasn't supposed to sing lead on "Peppermint Twist."  They were having trouble with this recording session so they asked Joey to give it a try. He did it and it worked.

Interview Date:  January 11, 2004:  James Darren
James told Wild Wayne that the calliope sound on his hit "Goodbye Cruel World" was actually a woman's voice played back at faster a speed.
James lost the best Rock Record Award to "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" in 1961.   

The late Gene Pitney and Wild Wayne were friends. They both come from Rockville, Connecticut.  Gene's nickname was "The Rockville Rocket."  That's why it was no surprise to me when Wild Wayne said that the singer he interviewed most was Gene Pitney, nine times over the years.
Interview Date:  September 7, 1980

Gene Pitney was talking about his first Hit "(I Wanna) Love My Life Away in 1961.
Gene was working nights (as a movie usher) and weekends (in a gas station).

Gene had no intentions of recording this song. He just wanted to make a demo and shop it around
for sale. It cost $30.
In order to save money, Gene sang every part and played every instrument.
He couldn't sell it so Gene recorded it himself. It took a long time to be a hit ... at least six months
before it got any play on the radio.

Gene sang at every dance and sock hop he could find in order to promote the record.  It wasn't easy. I say it paid off in the long run. He had a great career.Frank B.

I was never much of a Gene Pitney fan ... I mean I liked the obvious hits ... "A Town Without Pity" (#11, 1961); "Only Love Can Break A Heart" (#2, 1962); "It Hurts To Be In Love" (#6, 1964); and "She's A Heartbreaker" (#16, 1968) ... and I think "I Wanna Love My Life Away" is a GREAT record.  (It did much better here in Chicago than it did nationally, peaking at #8 on the WLS Silver Dollar Survey (compared to a #39 showing in Billboard).  It did a little better in Cash Box where it peaked at #31.

One of the best interviews I ever heard was done by Plash Phelps of then XM Radio, shortly before Gene passed away.  I found him to be totally entertaining, very honest and interesting ... and quite fun to listen to ... and I've liked him all that much more ever since.  Sadly by then it was too late and he was gone. 

I've talked to several artists who toured with Gene back in the '60's and all of them have told me what a great guy he was ... a real fun guy and a non-stop cut-up.  I wish I would have appreciated him more while he was still with us.

Here's his first chart hit ... and one of my favorites ... "(I Wanna) Love My Life Away".




And YOU can listen to Wild Wayne, too ... here's the link ...
http://wildwaynerocks.com/

re:  On The Radio:  
Chicago Broadcasting Legend Dick Biondi is moving to weekends this week on WLS-FM.  The 83-year-old Biondi still has an INCREDIBLE legion of fans, many of whom have been unable to listen to their hero when the last regime at WLS stuck him on the late shift, starting at 11 pm. 
The hope is that Biondi's loyal listeners will tune in again on the weekends at the more listener-friendly broadcast times of 6 am - 10 am on Saturdays and 7 am - 10 am on Sundays.  (Damn!!!  A seven hour work week?!?!  Who wouldn't go for that?!?!?) 
Here's a listen live link ... http://www.947wls.com/   

And, keep watching these pages for an announcement about a brand new, very special True Oldies Channel / Forgotten Hits Weekend ... more info to come!  (kk)

re:  The Shangri-Las:  
Kent ... 
11/16/2010 = The Shangri-Las, Lou Reed and Al Kooper are among those enshrined in the Long Island (New York) Music Hall of Fame.  
Marge use to work as a bartender in the bar around the corner from my house.  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKpPqBDuYQE  
Frank B.   

Here's a follow up story from Entertainment Tonight in 1989 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQB8mYd-ozo  
This has been a pretty big story the last several years ... and there's WAY too much of this going on in the music industry.  It is SO obvious that the young girls on stage couldn't POSSIBLY be the original Shangri-Las, but Richard Fox owns the legal right to the name ... and maintains that he can put ANYBODY of his choosing up on stage and call them The Shangri-Las. 
Most annoying (and we probably see this at least thirty times a year) is when these "fakes" refer to "their" hit record ... or make comments like "when we recorded this" ... when nothing could be further from the truth.  Sadly, SOME people in the audience are fooled ... or, worse yet, have been duped into buying tickets for something that isn't the real deal ... and it's a shame.  (kk)   

And here's a classic clip from "I've Got A Secret" featuring Betsy Palmer, Bess Myerson and Robert Goulet ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9WA5I2t26w  
Too cool!  (kk)

re:  This And That:   
It's time to promote our FH Buddy Paul Evans' Christmas Hit "Santa's Stuck Up In The Chimney" again ... now closing in on TWO MILLION VIEWS!!!

To my "Oldies" community friends,
It will soon be Christmas programming time and I wanted to remind you all about "Santa's Stuck UIn The Chimney".  Now with over 1,866,000 You Tube views!
(I used to chase 1,000,000 record sales. Now I'm chasing 2,000,000 You Tube views!)
Thanks for the plays and for clicking on the video.  You've all influenced my life.
Paul  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=557tQC86thA   

Speaking of Christmas Music, one of the holiday shows we saw last year was Matthew and Gunnar Nelson at The Arcada Theatre.  At the time, they promised that they would absolutely have their brand new Christmas album finished in time for this year's holiday season. 
And they kept their word. 
Here's an article we found on RollingStone.com ... http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/matthew-and-gunnar-nelson-ready-this-christmas-holiday-album-20151116  
The blend of their voices is truly incredible.  We'll be picking up THIS CD in a couple of weeks!  (kk)


From Tom Cuddy ... 
Meet Man Who Discovered Elvis in Essential New Sam Phillips Book ...  
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/meet-man-who-discovered-elvis-in-essential-new-sam-phillips-book-20151116   

He also sent us this Billboard link where Carly Simon FINALLY admits that at least ONE verse of "You're So Vain" was written about Warren Beatty ... something that was speculated about from Day One!!!  (No big surprise here!)
Hard to pay much attention to this after she's denied it for nearly 45 years ... and then recently revealed the secret of the song's inspiration to winning bidder Dick Ebersol, who swore he'd take the information to the grave with him ... but with a brand new 2-CD set coming out, why not drudge it all up again???  
http://m.billboard.com/entry/view/id/148451?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily&utm_term=Daily_Digest_MWF

I remember when THIS album cover had everybody talking ...

But somehow Carly doesn't look quite as appealing today ...

Then again, talking about great album covers, Forgotten Hits Reader Guy Arnston sent us this link honoring the classic Herb Alpert album "Whipped Cream", released again on vinyl in honor of its 50th anniversary.
Re-formed five years after passing of Alex Chilton, original founding members BILL CUNNINGHAM (bass, keys, vocals) and GARY TALLEY (guitar, electric sitar, vocals) with Rick Levy (guitar, vocals), Barry Walsh (keys vocals), Ron Krasinski (drums), plus HORN SECTION
JAN 9 - GRAND CASINO - Shelbyville, IN
JAN 23 - GRAND FALLS CASINO - Larchwood, IA
FEB 6 - PEABODY AUDITORIUM - Daytona Beach, FL
MAY 28 - CANNERY CASINO - Las Vegas, NV
Thanks -
RICK

Way before it became the Red Sox theme song, Sweet Caroline was overplayed [especially at karaoke] with the ba ba ba's and so good's. The reason the Red Sox picked it was because it was so well known. They could have just as easily picked Build Me Up Buttercup or Brown Eyed Girl. However, the fact that it was inspired by New Englander, Caroline Kennedy, possibly gave that song the edge.
Mark

Kent;
I have often wondered what Paul McCartney was smoking when he turned out the dishwater-dull "Silly Love Songs", a tune so listlessly hopeless it clobbers the senses.
It seem unthinkable to me that this song writing genius would waste his time on an effort best described as a musical "train wreck." However, what's worse is that John Q. Public actually bought the sucker.
There are so many solo efforts by Paul I can hear non-stop such as "Junior's Farm and "Nineteen Hundred Eighty Five."
The unanswered question: how much memorable material would McCartney and John Lennon have turned out if they had not broken ranks in 1969 - 70?
Meanwhile. has it really been 35 years since John was gunned down? I still recall ABC's Howard Cosell announcing the death of John on Monday Night Football in December, 1980.
Silly Love Songs? Can't we all just groove to "Harper Valley P.T.A?"
Chet Coppock
Paul has turned out some drivel over the years ... and he's had some "lucky" #1's with songs that, in hindsight, hardly seem deserving.  ("Hello Goodbye"?  "Get Back"?  "Let 'em In"?  "Ebony And Ivory"? And, according to many "Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey" and "Silly Love Songs".)  (Not all of these have aged well either!)  But the guy sure knows how to create a memorable hook ... no matter how hard you try, it's nearly impossible to get ALL of these songs out of your head once you hear them!)
You're right ... December 8th is right around the corner ... hard to believe that John has now been gone nearly as many years as he was with us.  (Ditto Elvis Presley!)   

We've been talking about the new Dion / Paul Simon duet ... and recently posted a link to the new video.  Now this from Dion's Facebook page ... courtesy of FH Reader Frank B ...


Jeez ... even THESE guys look better than Carly Simon!!! And they're both considerably older!!!  (kk)   

Hi Kent - 
Being a huge Cory Wells fan, it was with much anticipation that I wanted to read the review by Rich Turner of the "new" Three Dog Night and the incorporation of David Morgan into the mix.  I am glad to hear they have found someone to fill Cory's shoes -- and, as you know, they are very big shoes to fill, considering his vocal prowess.  Enclosed is a video of Michael Grimm singing "Try A Little Tenderness", the artist that I thought Danny Hutton was going to give a listen to and consider after Cory Wells' passing.  I wasn't familiar with David Morgan, but I am glad to hear Danny Hutton and Three Dog Night are able to continue their legacy as their record speaks for itself.  By the way, one of the unsung heroes of the band is lead-guitarist Michael Allsup -- and after all these years and all those riffs, you can tell by his incredible guitar playing and smiles, he is still enjoying himself.  You talk-about seamless and stellar playing -- he delivers -- and "we ain't talkin' Domino's!"  
https://youtu.be/y_IbyC7x75E   
I see where Burton Cummings is again returning to the Orleans in Las Vegas this January for the third year in a row.  I saw a few concerts last year and I must say his was the best -- and believe me I saw some good concerts -- but the night we caught his show in Vegas it was the best performance I have ever seen of his career and I have seen him over his entire career.  I never thought he would top his performance when I saw him when he was 17 and performing with his first band, the Deverons, but he did.  You wonder why he still sounds so good, certainly one of the reasons now is that he takes care of his voice.
As with Vegas, He is performing Thursday, January 14th, then taking a one night break, and then again performing the following Saturday and Sunday.  I wish Sam Boyd would talk him into breaking out the white baby grand and three back-up soul-singers for part of the show to capture a bit of his first solo album.  That is just one of the fun things of watching Burton Cummings perform ... he can sing demanding material such as "American Woman" and "Hand Me Down World", then slide into an oldie and then hit you with some jazz like "Shiny Stockings."  Even Ray Charles had a nice compliment for him when he heard Burton perform "That's Enough."  Looking forward in January to seeing Winnepeg's rockin' blue-eyed soul-brother -- now where in the hell are the Raelettes when you need 'em! https://youtu.be/P3xywfslSkw  
In closing, want to hear one Chuck Berry's most under-rated songs?  
Try this one: 
https://youtu.be/mc7oGWgeA8s?list=RDmc7oGWgeA8s Peace, 
Tim Kiley  
Wish we could see Burton Cummings in Vegas ... that would be awesome!  I know he enjoys playing there (but confided that things are done in a much stricter, timely fashion ... your show has to start and end a VERY specific times because they want to get the patrons out of the theater and back out on to the casino floor.)  Burton likes to let the spirit of the music move him ... regardless of how long that happens to take on any given night.  And there isn't a harder working guy out there ... he's typically drenched by the third song!!!  In many of his online videos he looks like he just stepped out of the rain forest!  (lol)  But absolutely one of MY all-time favorites, too.  (We've seen him four times in the last three years!)  And, he was cool enough to record this little ditty for Forgotten Hits ...





The recruitment of David Morgan sure seemed to happen quickly ... Cory was barely gone and already Danny was back up on stage with somebody else ... that one has left my head spinning a little bit.  Granted, I'm sure they didn't want to have to cancel any bookings ... but stepping into a role like this must have taken so serious rehearsal time ... which makes me wonder if Cory was sicker for a lot longer than we've all been led to believe.  As I stated earlier in the week, I found Cory's voice to be the strongest of the three over the past couple of years of appearances ... and there may come a time (a free concert perhaps?) where I'd go see Morgan and Danny Hutton just for curiosity's sake ... but I think I'll be a lot more inclined to see Chuck Negron instead as I've always felt that it was HIS voice most closely associated with the sound of Three Dog Night.  (kk)