Sunday, November 27, 2016

The Sunday Comments ( 11 - 27 - 16 )

Kent ... 
Starting at 10 AM Friday morning, WCBS-FM is counting down The Top 500, 1970's and 1980's only.  
I need your advice. 
Option A = Don't listen to # 1 Song, so I won't be disappointed  
Option B = Listen to # 1 Song and write to you to complain about it  
Frank B. 
I dunno, Frank ... sounds like a losing proposition either way!  (kk)   

Dear kk -- 
Bieber presides at demise of rock 'n roll. 
'Scuse me while I kiss the sky!  
You understand that rock 'n roll, the music we cherish, is dead ...  
It was laid to rest last night at the American Music Awards when famed midget wrestler Justin Bieber walked off with a pair of awards for excellence. 
Is that you, Chuck Berry, Jerry Butler, Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Curtis Mayfield, The Flamingos, The Jive Five, The Temps, Smokey Robinson, John and Paul, Mick, The Boss, Don Henley, Bruce Hornsby, Eddie Vedder, Bono, Usher, Aretha, a young Stevie Nicks, Darlene Love and Ronnie Specter? 
Have I made my point? 
I could do 12 hours telling you how disgusted I am that the genre which had such a profound effect on my life is fronted by freakin' Justin "Barbie Doll" Bieber. The mere mention of this little twerp next to the music elite I have mentioned is a travesty. 
Could baby Bieber sing "God Only Knows" with the heart and passion that Carl Wilson brought to the table? Can Bieber sing "Yummy Yummy?" 
I'll hang up and wait for the answer. 
Chet Coppock 
Host: Chicago Blackhawks Heritage Series  

On Saturday, 11/19, I stayed up WAY past my bedtime (1 am) to see Chicago's hometown hero, Jimy Sohns and the Shadows Of Knight at MT Barrels, in Schaumburg, IL  (NW suburban Chicago). I was joined for the evening by Bonnie Jordan. She is the wife of Max Jordan, former bass player of the mid 60's Chicago garage band, The Trolls. (Every Day And Every Night). For the naysayers, like many of our parents, who said we would grow out of it consider this ... two mid-60's adults went to see a 70 year old man ... actually more than one 70 year old man ... play rock and roll for almost two hours.
Opening for the Shadows Of Knight was Maggie "Blues Chick" Aliotta. If the last name sounds familiar, it should. Maggie is the daughter of the late Mitch Aliotta of Aliottta, Haynes and Jeremiah, and niece of Ted Aliotta, who was also in her band that night. Ted plays harp.  
Maggie reminded me a bit of Chicago blues great, the late Koko Taylor. She and the band did a ten song set and it was intermission. Maggie was also kind enough to give me a copy of her set list. On the set list, the key in which the song was going to be played, is notated. In a song called Love Me, Don't Hate Me, the key is designated as Bb. Any guitarist will tell you that this is not the most ideal key to play a song in. I asked Ted about it, and he said it's not ideal for harp players either.  
Intermission over, and on to the main event. 
I gotta tell you that for a 70 year old man, recovering from a stroke, Jimy looked as well as can be expected. You can tell immediately he's not anywhere close to where he was back when I saw him at the first Cornerstones Of Rock show, 13 months ago. His voice remains strong.
It was a six person band to start the show, but various people sort of filtered in and out throughout the night, including Jimy. The band, as they took the stage for the first song, I Fought The Law, were Jimy Sohns (vocals), Cindy Gotshall (keyboards), Jeff Millar Sax (percussion), Michael Weber (lead guitar), Gregg Brouck (spelling?) and FH member Rick Barr on drums.
Before continuing, I must elaborate on Michael Weber. First of all, I don't think he's old enough to shave yet. That being said, I think he must have shut himself in a room somewhere and watched Jimi Hendrix videos. It's been a long time since I've seen that animated of a guitar player. I got a set list from one of his crew as well ... that makes it a whole lot easier ... I don't have to rely on my scribbles I made in the dark. The keys were marked here as well.  
So I Fought The Law, the Bobby Fuller song, led off the show (key of G, in case you want to know). That was followed by the Barrett Strong classic, Money. More 60's covers with Love Me Two Times, the Doors' original. At that point Jimy left the stage, but the band continued with a local favorite, Sugar And Spice, made famous here by the Cryan' Shames. The fifth song of the night was the Byrds classic, I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better. Next was the Sam Cooke song, Shake, made famous here a second time by the Shadows Of Knight, but curiously Jimy was not on stage to sing it. It was followed by a Beatles medley that included Octopus' Garden and I've Just Seen A Face. Jimy comes back on stage for a Mitch Ryder Medley, similar to the one Springsteen does, featuring Devil With A Blue Dress, Good Golly Miss Molly, See See Rider, Jenny Take A Ride, with a little of Roll Over Beethoven mixed in as well. 
Jimy took another break. I tell you the man isn't fully recovered yet. Cindy, the keyboard player, took over lead vocals for You're So Vain and When Will I Be Loved. Jimy comes back for Peepin' And Hidin'. Ted Aliotta joins the band on harp here and stays for the rest of the evening. The first set concludes with the B and A sides of the Shadows' top single, Dark Side, followed by Gloria. Both songs are performed in the key of E, in case you're keeping track. 
I gotta hand it to Jimy ... he wanted to give the crowd their ten dollars worth, as he had eleven songs scheduled for the second set. Alas, only four more were performed.  
The second set started off with the 60's R&B staple, Mustang Sally. Every 60's garage band performed it. (I think there's a law that demands it). Next up was Brown Eyed Girl, the Van Morrison hit. (Remember Gloria was also written by Van). I'm not sure which of Van's recordings they did ... it was the one without bit by bit by bit at the end, which narrows it down. The abbreviated set concluded with two more blues classics, Boom Boom, (John Lee Hooker) and I've Got My Mojo Working (Muddy Waters).  
It was a fun night, and if this is the last rock concert I go to, I'll be a happy camper. I said the same thing 13 months ago, about the Cornerstones Of Rock show, but it looks like the possibility of more shows for me could be in the future. Max Jordan, my friend Bonnie's hubby, does not like to go to shows, especially local 60's talent. I could speculate, but I won't.  
I don't recall if Jimy reads FH or not, but I know others who know him personally are readers. So Jimy, if you're reading this, take care of yourself, so you can keep belting out G-L-O-R-I-A. 
In a way, going up on stage is probably far better physical therapy (mental too) than he's gonna get anywhere. 
I don't know how many times I've mentioned this in FH, and Kent has quoted me many a time on it too ... GO SEE DO!  None of us are getting any younger. 
If I still lived in Chicago, I'd be going to see shows weekly. Sadly 100 miles one way to St. Louis, let alone 300 miles one way to Chicago cannot happen on a weekly basis.  It just turned out I was gonna be in town for something else, and everything fell into place. 
Jack Levin  
Wow, sounds like you were right in my backyard ... you should have given me the call.  (I should say the same to Scott Shannon who was in Chicago last week to MC the Radio Hall Of Fame Ceremony ... jeez man, next time you're coming to Chicago, give me a call so we can at least meet for lunch!!!) 
Jimy lives to be on stage ... and there's another Cornerstones show coming up in February (with a potential midwest tour still looming, too) ... so here's hoping ALL our Local Heroes can keep this boat afloat for awhile longer.
As long as PBS stations from coast to coast continue to air the concert special, more and more music fans across the country will discover what we've known here in Chicago for a long, long time ... these guys can ROCK!!!  
Thanks, Jack!  (kk)

Speaking of our local heroes ...  

Fred Glickstein of The Flock is looking to get in touch with one of his old bandmates and asked if I could put a notice in Forgotten Hits to see if any of our readers might have a way to contact him ...   

I'm looking for Tom Webb from The Flock.  Do you have any current contact info for him? Maybe Facebook has something. I'm not on Facebook. Tom also used under the name T.S. Henry Webb. 
Many Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving 
Grateful Fred  
I don't do Facebook either ... but a lot of our readers do ... my first thought was that maybe Guy Arnston had talked with him recently.  Guy was putting together the definitive book on Chicago Rock and was touching base with as many artists as possible to get their take on all of this ... plus sort of a "where are they now" feature.  Guy, can you help?   Anybody else?  (kk)   

And I talked to Carl Giammarese of The Buckinghams Thanksgiving Week, too, who reminded me about the upcoming Cornerstones Of Rock Show happening on Valentine's Day next year at The Arcada Theatre.  Anybody who hasn't seen this yet should check the website now for tickets ... this is a GREAT show, not to be missed.  (kk) 
www.oshows.com   

And, speaking of reviews, Vintage Vinyl News ran a review of The Monkees' second-to-the-last stop on their 50th Anniversary Tour at the Twin River Casino in Lincoln, Rhode Island ...    

The Monkees, who have truly made a grand comeback in 2016 to celebrate their 50th anniversary, have really returned in style!! Being their Silver anniversary, a tour was somewhat expected, but they outdid everyone’s expectations by releasing their first new album in two decades (the last being 1996's Justus), with a pop glistening gem in Good Times. Critically lauded, and loved by the fans, it was the bands return to the Billboard Top 200 album chart in eons (peaking at #14 on the Billboard album charts, and even topping the magazines Vinyl Albums, reaching #1). Great production by Adam Schlesinger (and Andrew Sandoval on bonus cuts), Good Times embodies the classic pop thrills the band could always deliver, but does not sound dated at all (as their sound has proven to be enduring...much more so than several of their 60's piers) and while Micky Dolenz and Mike Nesmith man the lion’s share of lead vocals on the disc, it was a great tribute to include a track form the late Davy Jones, Love to Love, making this a true reunion of all the bands members (a la The Beatles', Free As a Bird).  
The band's current tour, which has been a successful one, performed on November 19, 2016, at the Twin River Casino in Lincoln, Rhode Island and, while the 2016 touring version only includes Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork (Nesmith did pop up for a couple of shows, but stayed home to allegedly write his autobiography), they performed a stellar 31 song set which revisited the past hits, gallantly revived some lesser known gems, and even tore off a couple from Good Times.  
Dolenz, who was, with Jones, essentially the band lead vocalist, still has his pop friendly/blue eyed soul-ish vocal chops, sounded strong on Last Train to Clarksville, She, That Was Then, This Is Now, and the ultra-unique Randy Scouse Git (which was penned by Dolenz). He even tackled the ballad, Sometime in the Morning, making it sentimental, without any saccharine like aftertaste - and killed it on guitar-riff filled The Girl I Knew Somewhere, a Nesmith composition, and just as near a perfect pop song as you can get. 
Tork was very active as well (playing multi-instruments, going from guitar to keyboards, and ever banjo) taking the co-lead on Shades of Gray (while the recorded voice of his late duet partner, Jones, was played via his original vocal recording). Also, he dominated on the very cool cut from the groups cult classic flick, Head, Long Title: Do I Have to Do This All Over Again?, and he effortlessly took over for Nesmith’s lead, while plucking out some great banjo notes, on What Am I Doin' Hangin' 'Round.
Together Dolenz and Tork unearthed their duet Words, and also shared vocals on Jones' Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow), while Dolenz impressed all with Goin Down, and its myriad of lyrics with lighting speed delivery (in the midst of is a lyrically brilliant tale of being dumped, drunk and suicidal. Only to realize, among sobering up, that he does want to survive). During the song, an audience member came forward to dance in front of Dolenz and he gave her the microphone and she dazzled the crowd flawlessly taking over on the second chorus.  
The encore ended perfectly with the tale of 60's suburban life in Pleasant Valley Sunday (penned by the ultra talented Carole King) and ending with their biggest hit (amongst a treasure trove of hits) I'm A Believer. Prior to which, Dolenz humorously pointed out to the audience that they sang the song long before "Shrek."  
It was great to have the Monkees so active this year. It was a shame that they neglected to celebrate their 40th anniversary in 2006, especially as that was around the time that Rhino Records did a phenomenal job of reissuing the bands original 4 albums - The Monkees (1966), More of The Monkees (1967), Headquarters (1967), andPisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. (1967) - in deluxe double disc repackages, including stereo and mono versions of each disc and bonus cuts as well. Since Jones was still around, it would have been a great time to have capitalized on that momentum.  
While this may be the final chapter in the long, sometimes challenging, career of the so called pre-fab four, and if it is, the band can be very proud of going out so successfully. 
But, with so much currently going for them, this might not be the end, just yet. 


The set list:  

Set 1   
Listen to the Band (from The Monkees Present, 1969) 
Last Train to Clarksville (from The Monkees, 1966) 
That Was Then, This is Now (from Then and Now...The Best of the Monkees, 1986) 
Saturday's Child (from The Monkees, 1966) 
Your Auntie Grizelda (from More of the Monkees, 1967) 
She (from More of the Monkees, 1967) 
She Makes Me Laugh (from Good Times, 2016) 
A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You (single, 1967) 
The Girl I Knew Somewhere (from Headquarters, 1967) 
You Bring the Summer (from Good Times, 2016) 
Steam Engine (from The Monkees Present, 1969) 
Shades of Gray (from Headquarters, 1967) 
Me & Magdelena (from Good Times, 2016) 
Papa Gene's Blues (from The Monkees, 1966) 
Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow) (from More of the Monkees, 1967) 
Randy Scouse Git (from Headquarters, 1967) 
For Pete's Sake (from Headquarters, 1967) 
Sometime in the Morning (from More of the Monkees, 1967) 
(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher (from 2001: Live in Las Vegas, 2001) 
Let's Dance On (from The Monkees, 1966)  

Set 2 
Mary, Mary (from More of the Monkees, 1967) 
Circle Sky (from Justus, 1996) 
Porpoise Song (Theme From "Head") (from Head, 1968) 
Long Title: Do I Have to Do This All Over Again? (from Head, 1968) 
(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone (from More of the Monkees, 1967) 
Words (from Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd, 1967) Goin' Down (from Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd, 1967) 
D.W. Washburn (single, 1968) 
What Am I Doin' Hangin' 'round? (from Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd, 1967) 
Daydream Believer (from The Birds, The Bees and the Monkees, 1968) 

Encore 
Pleasant Valley Sunday (from Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd, 1967) 
I'm a Believer (from More of the Monkees, 1967)  

Speaking of The Monkees, Micky Dolenz talks about the new BluRay limited edition release that features ALL of The Monkees' TV episodes in high definition quality with TONS of extras ... available now thru Monkees.com ...





FH Reader Tom Cuddy sent us this article, offering some surprising revelations by Beach Boys Guitarist and Vocalist Jeffrey Foskett ...  
http://www.desertsun.com/story/life/entertainment/music/2016/11/16/beach-boys-seek-overcome-discord-new-wave-love/93977562/  
With both Mike Love and Brian Wilson having autobiographies out now competing for our money, this is an interesting perspective for sure.  (For the record, I still haven't read either ... but am just finishing up the new Dean Torrence bio ... to be followed by Tommy Roe's.  Hoping to have interviews with BOTH of these artists in the weeks to come in Forgotten Hits.)  kk 

And, speaking of The Beach Boys, here's a little something from Gary Pig Gold ...  

Dear Music Lovers,
Can one of Brian Wilson's greatest-ever creations really be a half-century (!) old already??  
Gary Pig Gold examines The Man, The Music, and his Songwriter DVD, right there at DBAWIS ...
https://bobsegarini.wordpress.com/2016/11/21/gary-pig-gold-what-an-elation/    

Here's an offer that's too good to be true ...  
Regular FH Contributor Bob Merlis will be moderating a special showing of the new Bert Berns documentary we've been telling you about, on Thursday, December 1st, at The Grammy Museum in Los Angeles ... and he's offering a pair of free tickets to this very special event.  
Naturally, you'll have to respond VERY quickly in order to take advantage of this ... and complete details are shown below ... (and, of course, we're going to want a full review from you after you've seen the show!!!)  
But, if you just happen to be free this Thursday Night, get a hold of me RIGHT NOW and we'll have Bob put your name on the Guest List!  (VERY Special Thanks, Bob!)  kk 
P.S.  It also looks like you can still buy tickets for this event if you'd like to attend.     

BANG! The Bert Berns Story   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDBuIhj8AWM&feature=em-share_video_user
Featuring a Q&A with Jeff Barry, Brett Berns, Bob Sarles, Joel Selvin, Brooks Arthur, and Mike Stoller
Grammy Museum LA 800 W Olympic Blvd  
Los Angeles, CA 90015
December 1st, 2016  
Doors: 7 pm / Show: 7:30 PM
:  $20
 Thu, Nov 10, 2016 - 10:30AM
 Thu, Nov 17, 2016 
The GRAMMY Museum is thrilled to present a special screening of Bang! The Bert Berns Story — the greatest untold story of rock & roll. Narrated by Stevie Van Zandt, the biographical documentary tells the story of the life and career of Bert Berns, the most important songwriter and record producer of the '60s that you probably never heard of. His hits include "Twist and Shout," "Hang On Sloopy," "Brown Eyed Girl," "Here Comes The Night," and "Piece of My Heart." He helped launch the careers of Van Morrison and Neil Diamond and produced some of the greatest soul music ever made. The film features rare footage and interviews with those who knew him best, including Ronald Isley, Ben E. King, Solomon Burke, Van Morrison, Keith Richards, and Paul McCartney. Following the screening, veteran music publicist Bob Merlis will host a Q&A with producer/director Brett Berns, who brought his late father's story to the screen in the making of this film; Emmy-nominated co-director/editor Bob Sarles; veteran music journalist Joel Selvin, who authored Here Comes The Night: The Dark Soul of Bert Berns and the Dirty Business of Rhythm and Blues; the film's co-producer Brooks Arthur, a GRAMMY-winning recording engineer who worked with Berns on many of his biggest records; renowned songwriter/producer Jeff Barry; and GRAMMY winner Mike Stoller, one-half of the legendary Leiber & Stoller songwriting and production team who knew Berns very well over the course of his career.   
Bob Merlis/M.F.H   

Ok, if you enjoyed our DOORS YouTube, I hope you'll dig our Hendrix footage. 
In February of 1968, several friends and I went to see Jimi Hendrix at the Civic Opera House in Chicago with the Soft Machine as the opening act.
The concert we saw was amazing and my friend Steve Carlson was able to capture a bit of it with his Super 8 movie camera.
Those cameras, for the most part didn't have sound back then, but we've added a live version of Purple Haze just to give an idea of what it was like.
This footage has never been seen before and we hope Hendrix fans everywhere will enjoy it. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ajyp0AX1qEI  
We’ll see ya on the flip side!
Dean Milano
Author - Chicago Music Scene: 1960s & 1970s.
Available at my website:  www.toys-n-cars.com  

Nominated for the Rhythm and Blues Hall Of Fame this year are:  Bobby "Blue" Bland; Dick Clark; Clive Davis; Gamble and Huff; Berry Gordy; Isaac Hayes; The Intruders; Janet Jackson; Patti LaBelle; Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers; Billy Paul; Teddy Pendergrass; Jon Platt; Dee Dee Sharp; Soul Survivors; Joe Tex; The Three Degrees; Barry White and Georgie Woods.  The Top Ten vote-getters will be inducted next June.  (kk)


For Bruce Spizer:  
If you go on the ARSA site, you will find what you are looking for.
The KRLA Survey you want is July 8, 1967. As far as KJR, I don’t believe a survey like that exists. The closest you get is July 21, 1967, which has Light My Fire at #1 and “Lovely Rita” in the Top 10, but not A Day In The Life. 
Ken  
The KJR surveys are summarized in a book, but I have not been able to track down the actual surveys.
I frequent the ARSA site, which is where I learned about the KRLA chart showing “A Day In The Life” at #2. I would love to find someone who owns the surveys so I can get high resolution images. I found one site that has KRLA surveys through 1966, but none from 1967. KRLA Beat published the surveys until about May 1967, so even that does not work.  
Someone out there must have some summer of 1967 KRLA surveys.  
Thanks for trying. 
Bruce
We haven't given up yet, Bruce ... I contact some of the best-known survey collectors in the country but (so far, anyway) am still coming up short.  But we're not ready to throw in the towel just quite yet!  (kk)


>>>Regarding the new online station for Chicago's Me-TV-FM, there was one thing which I asked (but didn't hear back from) AccuRadio about: Maria Muldaur's wonderful hit "Midnight At The Oasis" was played on another trip there by me, but it was apparently a re-recording Muldaur made years later, though still labeled in AccuRadio's player as being the original from Reprise Records first published 1974. (The guitar lines on this remake are noticeably different from the original.) 
BOB FRABLE
>>>It happens from time to time ... and I've even supplied copies of the original recordings to the station to try and help them sort out their library to remove all of these glitches and remakes.  Funny, though, I never noticed it on "Midnight At The Oasis", which I've heard them play several times ... but hopefully Rick O'Dell will see this and make the swap.  (Truthfully, it was never one of my favorites ... so I may have been only half-listening and missed it ... but we'll certainly ask them to check it out.)  kk
Going back through one of my email apps, I found a response from Paul Maloney, a faithful sideman of AccuRadio head Kurt Hanson, dated the 15th of this month, saying he would find the original "Midnight At The Oasis" and plug it in there. (If the actual Me-TV-FM is playing this other
version, that's between you and them.)
BOB FRABLE
I think what you'll find is that we ALL want to present the best music possible and when highlighting the soundtrack of our lives, airing the original version we all love and remember is key.  (Now in some instances, it may be preferred to play a stereo take ... or the album version ... that's become highly popular and fashionable as well ... but remakes is a no-no!  Then again some of the sources currently available from which we purchase this music aren't always completely forthcoming with this information either ... so any one of us can get burned from time to time.) I heard "Midnight At The Oasis" over the Thanksgiving Weekend ... and it sounded like the right one to me.  (kk)

Kent,
The O'Jays had four Hot 100 chart entries on Imperial before "Lipstick Traces", beginning with "Lonely Drifter" in 1963.
Gary E. Myers / MusicGem
The FH Hit List only covers Top 50 Hits.  (kk) 
OK, but I thought part of the point was how long they had been around. 
Summer '63 was my first trip to SoCal and I heard "Lonely Drifter" quite a bit during out time out here.
Gary
For the record, prior to "Lipstick Traces" (a #48 Hit in 1965), The O'Jays charted four times nationally (but only ONE of those made The Top 100):  "Lonely Drifter" (#93, 1963); "Stand Tall (#131, 1964, Billboard only); "You're On Top" (#133, 1965, Cash Box only) and "Oh, How You Hurt Me (#133, 1965, Cash Box only).  Surprisingly, NONE of these records made Billboard's R&B Chart, telling me they were all aimed at the "pop" audience.  (Still hoping to catch their New Year's Eve Show at The Star Plaza ... opening acts include The Chi-Lites and Comedian Damon Williams!)  kk

As you probably know, This Diamond Ring was recorded first in Drifters style by Sammy Ambrose. It was unable to compete chart wise when Gary Lewis & the Playboys recorded it. Hartford, CT. played both versions. 
Mark
Yes, the Sammy Ambrose died on the charts, "bubbling under" at #117 for exactly one week in January of 1965. I, for one, have always loved the Gary Lewis and the Playboys version ... to this day it remains one of those RARE tracks that I never turn off when it comes on the radio.  (kk)


While you gave a great nod to the passing on Leon Russell this week, we lost a few more ...
* Holly Dunn - who had a 1986 hit with "Daddy's Hands"
* Mose Allison - who fused boogie-woogie and jazz piano in a unique way.  "One of the finest songwriters in 20th-Century Blues" says the All Music Guide to the Blues.
* Mentor Williams - Songwriter best known for "Drift Away"
Ken Voss
This has been an extremely rough year for losing performers ... losing a great guitarist like Al Caiola is sad ... but the guy lived to be 96, so it's kind of to expected ... some of these others this year have been extremely hard to take.  (kk)  

Speaking of the passing of Leon Russell ... and the Gary Lewis and the Playboys' recording of "This Diamond Ring" (to this day, one of my all-time favorite tracks from the '60's), I had the chance to visit with Gary a little bit, right before Thanksgiving ... and we talked a little bit about Leon's role in the studio with The Playboys ... 

Kent Kotal / Forgotten Hits:  I know Leon was intimately involved with The Playboys but can you elaborate a little more on just what his role was … what his capacity was within the group and the sessions?  

Gary Lewis:   Yeah, well actually I met Leon in late 1964 and then, when we decided to cut "This Diamond Ring", Leon's job was to actually be the arranger … he was the arranger … and I thought, well, ok, so he's going to write up the score and the charts and this and that and do all of that stuff, but come to find out that he did SO much more than just arrange. Well, the arranging was just phenomenal to begin with because he always thought so much deeper and in some kind of place that most people don't think.  Like what kind of things he wants to put on this record and how he's going to achieve that … and he was just magnificent.  Plus, he ended up playing one instrument or another on just about everything we ever did. He played piano or he put a guitar solo on it or he played some organ or he'd play a tack piano … he also played bass on a couple album tunes … he actually was in charge of absolutely everything.  Snuff Garrett was the producer, but he sat there in the booth and said yes or no, but Leon was the one that was hands-on all the way.  

kk:  And from what I've read it sounds like The Playboys then had to go out and kind of mimic whatever he came up with.  

GL:  Well, yeah … that did get to be a problem after awhile because in my song "Sure Gonna Miss Her", Leon brought in a guy named Tommy Tedesco to play some flamenco guitar and after he got done recording that, my guitar player came to me and said "What the hell am I gonna do?"  (lol)  "What?  I can't do that!" … ya know, and I said "Well, yeah, just get close … hopefully people won't really remember" … or something … I mean, I didn't know what to tell him!  "Just do your best."  So yeah, it got to be a problem every now and then.  It wasn't all the time 'tho.  

kk:  And it looks like Leon got co-writing credit on some of the hits, too … just looking at the list here … "Everybody Loves A Clown" and "She's Just My Style" … so he was really involved in every aspect of what was going out on record for you guys.  

GL:  Right, right  

kk:  And something else I found out as I researched this thing, is that he was also one of the Shindig Players during that whole time while you guys were having your biggest hits and really just taking off, Leon was not only working with you in the studio, but he was also a Shindog on tv every week!  

GL:  That's right … yeah … he was!  That was SO cool … and even before that, before he got with me, he was one of the Wrecking Crew, you know, so I mean he played for SO many different people … and he had SUCH a great style … I can listen to a piano right now and not know who's playing it and recognize that it's him … I just know that.  He was wonderful.  And the funny thing is that when he first got with me he always wore suits and ties (laughing) and had short hair (laughing)  

kk:  Well he was a young guy then, right?  I mean all of you guys were really just kids when you were first starting out.  

GL:  Well, yeah, I was 19 and he was 22.  He was so great … in everything that he did.  

kk:  Now did he ever actually tour with you guys or was this strictly in the studio?  

GL:  No, it was strictly studio … and a couple of times doing local LA TV shows every now and then … he'd play piano on it … he'd ask me, "Hey, can I play piano on this?" and I just told my guy, you know, "Hey, just take a break today … Leon wants to do it" … and all we did was lip sync anyway … so he probably just wanted some air time.  

Lots more of my conversation with Gary Lewis is coming up in Forgotten Hits in the weeks to come ... so stay tuned!  (kk)  

I always enjoyed following up Al Caiola's 1961 instrumental hit THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN with Arthur Conley's 1967 hit SWEET SOUL MUSIC.
Tal Hartsfeld





Kent, 
Today you featured the mono and 2-track stereo mixes of "Shape Of Things To Come." Here's the 3-track stereo mix.
– Randy



Hello Kent -
I got you email address from Marie at the It's All In The Grooves blog, which I follow.
Saw your site (great by the way) and hope you can help.
I am trying to assist a friend in finding a long forgotten song I think from the '60s.  This was the request I got:
Can you help with this song I am trying to find?  It was from the mid 60s and I'm sure it was called Instant Sunshine. Chirpy little pop thing. It starts:
"Where have I been all your life oh yeah
I bet you thought you'd never find me"
The chorus goes "I'll bring you instant sunshine and some instant moonbeams and you'll see how soon dreams can come true"
It's the kind of thing that got played a lot on the radio but wasn't actually a hit.
It would be great if you could track it down as my attempts to find it on the web / iTunes, etc. have come up short.  I would be really grateful.
Yours in anticipation,
Alyson from the "What's It All About, Alfie?" blog.
I can't find any song called "Instant Sunshine" that ever charted ... and checked a couple of other sources as well but came up empty.
The lyrics aren't familiar to me at all ... but if this got some airplay, maybe somebody else on the list can help us to track it down.  Stay tuned!  (kk)

One more ...

Hello,
I am hoping you can help me out.  There is a song that I am searching for. I am not sure of the title, but the words go like this..
This song is from the late 50's or early 50's.
Mommy and Daddy, can I go with Sherry, because I love her and she loves me.
Ouu Weee. Mommy and Daddy, please don't say No No ...  ????
somewhere in the middle there is a conversation, and the Dad says,,
Didn't I tell you to get in there and take a bath boy
Hope you can tell me what this is .
God Bless You
Rosalyn Thomas 
NO clue on this one ... anybody?  (kk)

This clip is worth a look ... (I found this while looking for something else ... and had to share!)  kk




Our Bobby Rydell Series has now been permanently posted as part of the Forgotten Hits Webpage ...
http://forgottenhits.com/bobby_rydell 
Look for our concert review on Monday! 

Thanks for all you do!  
Happy Thanksgiving!
Lynette  (formerly known as Redhed1009) lol
Thanks, Lynette!  You may not have been one of the original 35, but you didn't miss it by much ... you were certainly were amongst the first!  (kk)

Hi Kent,
Please put me down for 1967. I wouldn't want to miss it. Thanks for all you do. I believe Doug and I were on your original list. Can't believe how long it's been since you began.

Roxie
Not the first 35 ... but pretty damn close!  Thanks, Roxie!  (kk)
 

If I had to pick one, 1967 would have to rank as my favorite year for music.  It's not that it coincided with other key events in my life (dating, first time for something, etc.)  It's just that the music of that year simply holds up so well. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCcPo8TPjlQ  
Gary Theroux 
"The History of Rock 'n' Roll"

Hi Kent - 
I am writing during a news break while doing my Saturday night show.  Thank you for all of the show ideas over the years.  You have inspired many of us old djs to dig a little deeper.  Keep up the great work.  I hope we can work together on more shows in the future.  I can't wait for the year of  1967 because it is also my favorite year for
music.  Please put me on the list for the special email updates.  Thanks again for your outstanding dedication.
Phil - WRCO

I always enjoy working with you, Phil ... got lots more great radio ideas up my sleeve!  (Actually, I'm hoping I can get a stable of jocks to help salute 1967 with me next year ... maybe even do a daily "50 Year Flashback" segment ... read a couple of our news headlines and then feature one of the songs on the chart that dayin '67.  Any interest?)  kk 

Happy 17th.
Can't believe it's been that long.  
Here's to many more years or months or whatever you choose. 
..... Pete / Ed44

Hey, Kent -
Please add me to the '67 list!  Looking forward to this, as it will be 50 years for me since high school graduation.  Lots of great music released that year! 
Best Wishes & thanks so much for forgotten hits! 
Randy Hutchison
Reminder ... you MUST resubscribe in order to receive our very special 1967 series, running ALL of next year.
There will be no more posting reminders ... each and every day, at precisely 6 am Chicago time, a new calendar page will go up on the site.  
Incidental comments, memories and special side stories will go out periodically via email ... so you MUST subscribe in order to receive them.  
Don't miss a thing as Forgotten Hits celebrates our BIGGEST YEAR EVER!!!  
Drop me an email NOW so we can put you on the list!  forgottenhits@aol.com  OR  kk@forgottenhits.com  Thanks!  (kk) 

Kent, 
Congrats ... your devotion to the genre is beyond special.
Chet Coppock

Put me on the l967 list ... this is my personal favorite year in music also.  Thanks for all you do.  
Janet Weiner

Please put me down for a lifetime subscription.
I want to read everything you ever do.
Rick 

Hi Kent,
Please add me to the 1967 email list.  I don't want to miss a thing.
Thanks for all you do.  It's simply been amazing to me your dedication and passion to the music we all grew up with and your efforts to keep it alive.
Wishing you and yours a very Happy Holiday Season,
Bill   
 
Hi Kent, 
Please put me on the list for the 1967 updates. 
I have a running joke with my mother that the world magically turned from black-and-white to color on January 1, 1967, so it was a bit of a turning point, not just in music. 
Bob Anthony 
Clifton NJ  
 
Bravo! Kent ... 
Few readers know what it takes to collect hidden and discarded information / items ... 
I vote you curator of the year! 
Phil 
 
Please add me, Ken Evans, to the 67 list for The Fifth Estate Band !! We had a lot to do and going on throughout
the 60s and 1967 especially, both with record releases and touring and movie clips now shown on Youtube done
in Sept. 1967 called “I Wanna Shout!”   
We also presently are a good part of a rock and roll book written about those days. They had us do the Foreward for it and more.  It’s due out in the Spring.  And both the writer and publisher liked what they heard there enough I guess to
offer The Fifth Estate a book on the band itself, which is to be out next year.  I think they realized what the band had done was much deeper and more interesting than what most people know of The 5E.   
Some of this is starting to be shown and heard now on Spotify for The Fifth Estate  
And also on Youtube at  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqVxjKJKgdZ8S4EioBLucCQ     
Our latest is available here as well called “Liar’s Dance.”  It includes some of our best 60s material. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/thefifthestate10?_ga=1.177774561.595929256.1457044621
Thanks tons, Kent, for all the great years of forgotten greatness.
Forget 2525!  Please keep on blasting – FOREVER >>>>> Furvus  
Counting on you and many of the other artists who were all over the charts in '67 to provide some "fly on the wall" info for our readers ... photos ... significant dates and milestones ... special memories of concerts, tours, television appearances, watching your records break on the charts. 
The daily posts will be the calendar pages ... it's all the little "extras" that are going to put this thing over the top ... and those will come via email only ... so get on the 67 List NOW!!!  (kk)  

Gotta be on the 67 list.   
Thanxalot, Kent.   
Don't ever stop.  
Guy    

A big congratulations to you, Kent.  
I can't believe it has been seventeen years already for your Forgotten Hits blog. I enjoy reading it daily and miss it when you take a much needed day or two off of rest. I hope it continues for decades.  
I'm only 55 years young and have discovered dozens of tunes thanks to Forgotten Hits.  
Please keep sharing all the excellent music, news and information you bring to us.  
May you and your family have a safe and warm holiday season! 
Santiago Paradoa 
Miami, Florida

Please add me to your '67 list and thanks for all your hard work over the last 17 years. It seems like I've been getting your newsletter for as long as I've been on the internet so I must have been a pretty early subscriber.  
All the while your newsletter kept me company and please, no swan song! Go to at least 2025!  
Thanks again,  
Danny Guilfoyle   

Hi Kent,  
Please put me on the 67 list. 
Thanks, and here's to another 50 years!  
Dave Jensen     

Kent, 
You will ……. You must ……… 
You have to make it to 20 ……… or 25 ………. or more! Congratulations and best wishes on your 17th, 
Paul Evans