Sunday, April 20, 2014

The Sunday Comments ( 04 - 20 - 14 )

re:  RINGO!:
Check it out!!!  WLS-FM is actually doing something REALLY cool in June ... and if you grew up here in the '60's enjoying The Big 89 ... and The Beatles ... this just might be something you'd like to be a part of!  More details to come as they become available ... but here's what we know so far ...  
I wanted to tell you about an upcoming 94.7 WLS event — the Ringo Starr Art Show "With a Little Help From His Friends", benefiting the Lotus Foundation.  The event will take place June 21 – June 28 at the Hard Rock Café in Chicago.  The Art Show will be free and open to the public with all pieces available for purchase.  Customers purchasing a signed Ringo Starr print will meet Ringo and have their picture taken with him at a special pre-concert event on Saturday, June 28th

And check this out ... 

Given his tie in to WLS during the British Invasion, Clark Weber will be appearing there on Tuesday, June 24th, from 6 - 8 pm to tell stories of what it was like to program the biggest Rock and Roll station in America during this incredibly exciting time. 

And, it gets better ... check out this note I received from Clark:  

I suggested they contact Ron Riley and fly him into town for the event. They thought that was a great idea and are contacting Ron and setting those wheels in motion.
This should be an exciting night.  Hope to see you there.
Clark 

You can count on it!  Man, you guys were right in the thick of it back then ... in fact, you were flying the plane here in Chicago!  Would LOVE to get a picture with you and Ron for the website ... who knows, maybe we can even convince Ringo to photo-bomb us!!! 

FH Readers ... you are NOT going to want to miss this event.  Ringo's All-Star Band concert is June 28th at The Chicago Theater.  Members of the band this year include Todd Rundgren, Steve Lukather of Toto, Gregg Rolie of Santana and Richard Page of Mr. Mister.  (kk)   

re: ON THE RADIO:
In other radio news, congratulations to Bob Stroud of The Drive.  Closing in on his 30th year of broadcasting here in Chicago, Bob's mid-day show is now the third most popular program in this time slot.  And, far more importantly, he placed well ahead of Ryan Seacrest's syndicated program on KISS-FM, which came in at #7, thus accomplishing a life-time goal achievement ... right, Bob?!?!  (Just kidding ... hey, your show is still amongst the best on the radio today ... and we loyal members of The Stroud Crowd have enjoyed listening every step ... and every stop ... of the way.)  Seriously, congrats!

Congratulations two three other Chicago Radio Broadcasting Legends ... according to Chicagoland Radio and Media:  

Radio Facts released its list of the "10 Best Black Radio DJs of All Time" last week.  At #10 was Chicago's living legend, Herb Kent, aka "The Cool Gent," "The King of the Dusties," and "The Honorary Mayor of Bronzeville." Of course, Kent can still be heard each weekend on WVAZ-FM / V103. At #8 was Doug Banks, who is also heard now on WVAZ-FM, and formerly had a show on WGCI-FM (1986 - 1994). #3 was Tom Joyner, who used to be heard exclusively in Chicago on WJPC-AM and WGCI-FM, before becoming one of the country's top syndicated radio stars. As the list was written by Buffalo, NY native Kevin Ross, it features a few Buffalo and east coast DJs, which may not be as well known nationally. The entire list can be seen HERE.

And, speaking of the latest ratings, Scott Shannon's aren't too shabby at his new home in New York City ...

Kent ...
Latest ratings = WCBS-FM checks in at #2.
Scott Shannon said he won't be satisfied till WCBS-FM is #1 again.
I like a man who has confidence in his show.
Here's a mid-week report:
Monday = Bill Medley called in to push his new book "The Time Of My Life."  Bill said that Frank Sinatra brought the Righteous Brothers to Las Vegas. He called them the kids. Both Bill and Elvis were at the International at the same time. Bill did the early show and Elvis did the late show. They got to be close friends. They would sit in the dressing room - Bill, Elvis and his hairdresser. He tells this story:
One day Bill was on stage singing. Elvis walks across the the stage ... Hi, Bill. He was taking a shortcut to his dressing room.
Scott asked what I thought was a good question. How do you replace Bobby Hatfield?
Bill gave a good answer ... You can never replace Bobby Hatfield. Every member of his band sings and his daughter is part of the show. We do the best we can.
Bill Medley talked about some of the woman in his life ... Darlene Love, Mary Wilson and Connie Stevens. Scott described Bill as a hit and run kind of guy. Bill agreed with that description.
During Scott's interview with Bill Medley, Bill said his son was with Paul Revere and The Raiders for about 5 years.
Wednesday  =  Felix Cavaliere was on the Star Phone.  He said he'd be working with The Beach Boys this
Summer.  Working with Darlene Love this Winter.
Just noticed Darlene Love got into both of my stories.
Scott assumed the Rascals were fighting again and asked Felix about it. Felix says no. He said the reunion tour was only supposed to last about a year.  Do you believe him ?
Stay Tuned For More.
Frank B.
Damn, I'm going to have to start listening to Scott Shannon again!!!  SO glad he's doing this ... featuring some of his favorites ... and '60's acts to boot ... on a station that clearly has gone the '70's and '80's direction.  I was hoping they'd let him do his thing 'cause there's just nobody better out there to do it.  Sounds like he's already turned you into a fan!
Speaking of Darlene Love, Chet Coppock dropped a not-so-subtle hint to Ron Onesti last weekend that Darlene would make a GREAT add to the Arcada schedule this year ... and Ron didn't rule this out as a possibility ... so I'm hoping that we just might have a major announcement coming up here soon! 
As for The Rascals, Felix assured us that there's no animosity between the members ... the tour was good fun and they had a blast playing those songs together again.  He indicated (as did Little Steven) that there may be more shows down the road.  As such, I believe him.  However, something doesn't add up in that they actually CANCELLED shows ... including some sold out shows ... out of the blue.  That tells me there's more to the story ... but I hope they stay on good terms and do it again.  It was a dream come true to see all four original Rascals up on stage together again.  (Maybe they should commercially release the video of "Once Upon A Dream" now while there's still a buzz about it.  This way Rascals fans all over the world can see their last harrah!)
Felix is coming to Chicago in September, when he'll be appearing at The Arcada Theatre with Felix Cavaliere's Rascals.  I'm hoping to have a chance to catch up with him then.  (kk)   

re:  AFTER CONCERT REVIEWS:
I saw the Soul Stirrers do a tribute to Sam Cooke at the Chicago Theater about four years ago. It was outta sight.
Kudos to Ray Graffia and the New Colony Six for the great warmup they gave the house in The Arcada prior to Paul Revere and the Raiders this past Sunday.
The group's  harmonies were as smooth as they could be. Ray Graffia remains a consummate showman. In fact, Ray's on stage personality is actually stronger now than it was back in the 60's when the band was churning out 17 top 40 hits in about six years time.
Great to see you man. Had a ball talking the music we love ... and a round of applause for Ron Onesti, whose promotional music continues to amaze me.
Chet Coppock
'Host: Blackhawks Heritage Series

I saw Little Anthony and the Imperials perform at The Star Plaza Theater in Indiana about four years ago and your review is right on the money - a great show by a great performer and entertainer.
Chuck

Kent ...
I liked your Little Anthony & The Imperials revue.  Here's Little Anthony, before he was Little Anthony.

I think Little Anthony has been doing the casino circuit, another great place to see the oldies acts these days.  I would love to see him again.
Janet
It's funny in a way ... I can honestly say that it's never even crossed my mind to buy a ticket to a Little Anthony and the Imperials concert ... and I can't even give you a good reason why.  I like all of their hits ... and I've seen him on those PBS Specials where he has ALWAYS been in good voice ... but I just never got around to buying a ticket to check him out in person.  Now that I've seen his show, I can HIGHLY recommend that you guys out there NOT make the same mistake I did ... a THOROUGHLY enjoyable show, from start to finish.  (kk)

Did they perform the a capella version of Two People In The World [flip of Tears On My Pillow]? That was a highlight when I saw them in AlbaNY about 10 years ago.
Mark
They sure did ... and it was yet another concert highlight.  (Of course they did the Acapulco version on stage, according to one of the Imperials!) kk

Hi Kent -
THANKS SO MUCH for the write ups on Little Anthony / Imperials and Paul Revere / Raiders shows!!
I was fortunate to see Little Anthony in Pittsburgh when he appeared on one of TJ Lubinskys Doo Wop shows. Got to talk to him in the green room and he was so nice.
Saw Paul Revere and the Raiders at Westchester Fest and like you said, they are so entertaining. Paul is one of a kind and his Raiders put on a great show. No one drums like Tommy Schickel!!
All I can say is: THE NEW COLONY SIX are the BEST and my favorites (like yours!!!)Would have loved to seen them when they first came out especially performing songs from their second album "Colonization"!!I was fortunate to buy an original vinyl copy of it at a record convention. They rock!
"Rock and Roll and do The Stroll" and keep up the GREAT work ...
Carolyn

kk,
You are having WAY too much fun, fun, fun!! 
EnJOY,

Kent,
I always enjoy reading reviews from you and others on this page.  It many times confirms my feelings, sometimes makes me question, always seems honest and shows love of the music.
Shelley J Sweet-Tufano


I was at the Arcada Theater Sunday Night to see Paul Revere and the Raiders with The New Colony Six - what a great show!  I've heard you talk about The New Colony Six many times before but had never actually seen them.  I found that I was familiar with about half of what they did -- and was blown away by a couple of tunes that weren't even theirs, like the Grass Roots song and the whole Chicago Gold Medley  -- for me, these were amongst the highlights of the entire performance.  In fact, dare I say it, I think The New Colony Six may have actually been better than Paul Revere and the Raiders that night!
Thanks for all you do, keeping us informed about these shows in the area.  I had never been to the Arcada Theater before -- what a beautiful place to see a show.  I'll be ordering tickets for several more shows that they've got coming up soon.
Thanks again.
James
Everybody who comes out to The Arcada Theatre goes home a fan ... it's a GREAT place to see a concert ... and it'll keep getting better after the next wave of expansion, improvement and renovation.  That's why we're happy to spread the word.  If you're visiting Chicago, drop us a line ... there is ALWAYS something good going on there ... and you'll enjoy your trip even more if you save a night to see a great show.
As for The New Colony Six, I've probably seen them at least 25-30 times now over the past six or seven years ... and have to say that this one of the strongest performances I've ever seen them do.  I was SO glad that we were able to pull this off.  I heard from several folks at work, too, that recognized and were able to sing along with several of their songs, despite the fact that they haven't heard most of them in decades.  Yeah guys ... that's the whole concept behind Forgotten Hits ... that's what we do ... remind you of those great songs you'll remember the moment you hear them ... but are cheated out of hearing on a daily basis by the tight-reigned programming of radio today, where you get about 200-300 songs all week long to digest ... and the exact SAME 200-300 songs every single week.  (kk)

The show was great fun but I have to admit that it was a little bit sad to see Paul Revere ... he does not look well.  How long has he been like this?  And how is he doing?
Margie
Paul has had a very rough year ... some serious health issues have really taken their toll on him ... and clearly he's having a tougher time getting around these days.  (Several fans commented how he had to leave the stage assisted by his son and a cane ... and he just wasn't as sharp as he normally is on stage, even as recently as a couple of years ago.)  But he's a performer in the truest sense of the word ... even after all these years, he LIVES for this stuff ... and as good as the band is, it's still Paul that the fans come out to see ... he's the glue that holds it all together.  It's tough watching some of our idols grow old ... one of the ladies in our row Sunday Night made a comment that there "sure are a lot of old people here" ... to which I replied, "Yeah, and you're sitting with a whole bunch of us!" (Funny thing was she was a first generation Paul Revere and the Raiders fan herself!!!  But we rarely see ourselves getting older ... especially when we don't FEEL any older inside.)
Another commented "Looks like Paul's lost a step" ... but then quickly added "Who hasn't".  And that, in a nutshell, is the reality of it all.  The music still sounds great ... the band's INCREDIBLE ... and this is feel good music that makes us ALL feel young again ... and I believe Paul Revere would be the first to include himself in that statement.  (kk)

My wife and I just saw Paul Revere and really enjoyed the show. We always have a great time at the Arcada and congratulate and thank Ron Onesti for providing the public with a great value for their money. What spectacular entertainment he provides on a regular basis! Please keep up the good work!  There just aren't a lot of venues devoting shows to this era of music anymore and the Arcada continues to excel in this area.  I live near the Genesee Theater in Waukegan, another beautiful spot, but they would do well to have your experience and expertise with booking these great acts ... the area would benefit greatly by having you book shows at both theaters for the weekend.
You already know that I thought that the Paul Revere show was incredible, as we spoke about it after the show at the Arcada. I am sorry I waited so long to see him. I would have loved to have seen him five years ago when he had full mobility. The Raiders were my favorite band back in the 60's and I fondly remember running home from grade school to watch them every day on Where the Action Is. I also remember the girls at school arguing over which Raider was the cutest, Mark Lindsay or Fang.
You do a stupendous job promoting these shows through your Forgotten Hits website and deserve some credit and a round of applause for all your efforts.  Great job in helping Ron Onesti book the New Colony 6. They were the perfect opening act for the Raiders and they sounded damned good!
See you at the Herman's Hermits show!
Steve
Thanks, Steve.  Ron Onesti and Forgotten Hits are the perfect marriage for oldies music fans ... we both TRULY love this music and get a real kick out of sharing it with all of the "locals" on the list.  (Ironically a couple of weeks ago another reader wrote in to say that Ron should also tandem-book shows with The Rialto Theater in Joliet ... he seems to have his finger on the pulse of all this great entertainment ... all three theaters should consider partnering together to co-sponsor and promote some of these shows ... thanks to Ron Onesti, the midwest is not lacking for premium entertainment right now ... and we truly do appreciate his on-going support of our efforts here in Forgotten Hits ... which is why I'm happy to let EVERYBODY out there know about all the great shows he's got coming up.)  And let me tell you, no matter which shows we tell you about today, you've got to check the website ... because new shows are being added all the time ... and LOTS of GREAT names are being kicked around right now for shows at The Arcada between now and the end of the year.
So please stay tuned to Forgotten Hits ... and check that oshows.com website for more details.  (We may have some major announcements soon!) 
See you at the Herman's Hermits show.  (And who knows ... we just may have a free ticket give-away for that one.  That's why you can't miss a day of Forgotten Hits!)  kk

I loved Paul Revere and the Raiders growing up.  I remember planting myself right in front of our family's big stereo in the living room, jamming with air-guitar to all the hits on their greatest hits album.  Of course my family thought I was crazy as I was rocking out there in the living room ... but I didn't care.  This was GREAT music ... and it still sounded great at the Arcada Theater the other night.  Thanks for letting us know about this show ... and thanks to Ron Onesti for the half-price ticket offer for Forgotten Hits readers.
Jim

OMG - the drummer for Paul Revere is a wild man!  I swear I think I lost ten pounds just watching him play!  What a great showman!
Judy

That drummer is the tits' nipples for the Raiders - I'm a drummer and I couldn't take my eyes off of him all night!
Dennis

I know I've seen that drummer before but I don't think it was with the Buckinghams - who else has he played with?
Steve
All of the above praise can be heaped on the incredible Tommy Sheckel, drummer for Paul Revere and the Raiders ... and he is ALL of the above ... a wild man, a great showman AND the tits' nipples ... whatever the hell THAT means!!!  He's a really good guy, too, and I enjoyed having the opportunity to visit with him a little bit before the show.  (I think we started emailing each other around 6:30 that morning has the band was driving in from Ohio!  Then had a chance to catch up a bit more in the lobby before the show started.)
You probably saw him with The Buckinghams ... they just weren't quite as "showy" as The Raiders are ... a much more "laid-back" performance if you will.  Or, you may have seen him livening things up with Jonathan Brandmeier / Johnny and the Leisure Suits ... where the whole band got wild and crazy every single night.  He's a sight to be seen, that's for sure ... and I agree, there are times when you just can't take your eyes off him!  Great show all around.  (kk)

We passed along some of your comments to Tommy, who we had the pleasure of visiting with before the show.  (In fact Tommy and I had been emailing each other since 6:00 that morning as the band was heading back into town from a gig the night before in Ohio!)  It was great to see him again for this very special home-coming ... and ALWAYS a treat to watch him up on stage in "performance mode"!!!  (kk) 

Kent,
Ha! I love it! Thanks for passing on the kind words.
Great to see you in person last night ... you’re a frikkin’ celebrity, dude! I want to thank you for your help in making the Arcade show a big success.  We really appreciate all you do for us and all of the other touring acts. I don’t know about you, but we just love that old theater. Ron Onesti has really created something special there, hasn’t he? It was a total party atmosphere, which is absolutely perfect for a Raiders show. Chicagoland audiences really are THE best in the world. (only just slightly prejudiced on my part). They just know how to let loose and have fun, even on a Sunday afternoon! Hope to see you again soon.  
Tommy 
Paul Revere and The Raiders

re:  UP-COMING SHOWS:
Wow!  What a GREAT way to wake up this morning!
Ticketmaster just sent me a list of up-coming shows for our area ... check out this list!
Frankie Avalon at The Drury Lane Theater on May 20th
Barry Gibb, May 27th at The United Center
The Monkees at Star Plaza on May 31st (featuring Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith) 
B.B. King at Rialto Square, May 31st
Styx at The First Merit Bank Pavilion on June 6th
Huey Lewis and the New at The Venue / Horseshoe Casiono on June 13th
Lionel Richie at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheater on June 15th
Boston at Montrose Beach, June 21st
Jimmy Buffet June 28th at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheater
Jackson Browne at the Peoria Civic Center on July 8th 
The Steve Miller Band with Journey, July 12th at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheater
Lynyrd Skynyrd with Bad Company, July 23rd at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheater
Aerosmith, July 25th, at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheater
John Fogerty, July 27th at The Chicago Theater
The Happy Together Tour, featuring The Turtles, Chuck Negron, Mark Farner, Gary Lewis and the Playboys and Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels at The Peoria Civic Center on August 10th
Kiss and Def Leppard, August 16th, at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheater
Fleetwood Mac at The United Center on October 3rd
Rod Stewart at The Allstate Arena on August 16th
Johnny Mathis at The Rosemont Theater, December 6th
Add to list list all of the great shows coming up at The Arcada Theatre and Chicago is going to be one rockin' town this summer!


And have you heard about Rock 'n' Blues Fest - Featuring The Johnny Winter Band, The Edgar Winter Band, Vanilla Fudge, Peter Rivera of Rare Earth and Savoy Brown's Kim Simmonds?

Here's the official tour schedule ... with more dates expected to be added later:
Friday, August 1 - Theatre at Westbury in Westbury, New York
Saturday, August 2 - Rockland's Harbor Park in Rockland, Maine
Sunday, August 3 - Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, New Jersey
Tuesday, August 5 - Keswick Theatre in Glenside, Pennsylvania
Wednesday, August 6 - South Shore Music Circus in Cohasset, Massachusetts
Thursday, August 7 - State Theatre in New Brunswick, New Jersey
Friday, August 8 - Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, New Jersey
Wednesday, August 13 - King Center for the Performing Arts in Melbourne, Florida
Thursday, August 14 - Florida Theatre in Jacksonville, Florida
Friday, August 15 - Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Saturday, August 16 - Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Florida
Thursday, August 21 - City National Civic in San Jose, California
Friday, August 22 - City National Grove of Anaheim in Anaheim, California
Saturday, August 23 - The Cannery in Las Vegas, Nevada
Sunday, August 24 - Snoqualmie Casino in Seattle, Washington

I see that The Cowsills are coming to the Arcada. If you haven’t seen them, you’re in for a treat. They sound great and they’re fun, and very funny people who just love their fans. We’ve done a few dates with them this past year, and they were also a big hit and fan favorites on last years’ cruise. You’ll have fun with them. Check out this little one-camera video I shot of them when we’d played together last July in Vegas (I set it at Bob Cowsills feet and let it run). It’s not a great video (I did the best I could with just the one stationary camera angle) but they sound great, and it’s gotten almost 25,000 hits so far. That’s a lot for a current live version of an old hit. They definitely have a strong fan following! 
Tommy Scheckel
I'm bummed that we have to miss this show as I'd really like to see them ... I'm hoping they go over in a very big way and Ron Onesti will bring them back. (Daughter Paige is starring as Belle in "Beauty And The Beast" that night, her final High School Musical ... so there's no way I can miss that!!!)  kk

Speaking of cool "at your feet" videos, here's another Forgotten Hits exclusive, sent in by Brad Joblin, who took a night off from attending the NAB convention in Las Vegas and shot this incredible up-close video of Elton John at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.  It seems with VIP status, Brad got to stand on stage next to Elton and was so close he could have touched the piano keys. He described the volume level from Elton's stage monitors as more than "11" and hence his camera's mic overloaded somewhat. 
Brad tells us:
Take a look at this video I shot of Elton John.  It turned out rather cool but since I was only two feet from Elton's stage monitors, and he needs them at such an incredibly high volume, my tiny camera mic could not handle it, so the audio levels are "into the red".  Even so, imagine how cool this five minutes was for me, an Elton fan for 44 years!
Elton John in Las Vegas 4-5-14 (Shot on stage) "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)"    

re:  THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME:
Your list of Deserving and Denied is excellent!
However there is one name that should be on the honorable mention list:
The Tokens.
If you want ALL the reasons why, let me know and I shall give them to you (as there are plenty - performers, writers, producers, and some of the first r&r artist commercials!) 
CLAY PASTERNACK
Actually, their name has come up a number of times over the years since our series first ran ... and I'd have to agree.  And, they're still out there doing it!!! Thanks, Clay!  (kk)


re:  THIS AND THAT:
We got this announcement from several Forgotten Hits Readers last week ... seems "Soul Train" is coming to Broadway!  The whole thing is being put together by Matthew Weaver, the guy who produced and created "Rock Of Ages".  Here's the official word from Chicagoland Radio and Media:
"Soul Train," the iconic television music / dance show which started on WCIU-TV in Chicago by the late Don Cornelius in 1970 before becoming a national smash, may be headed for Broadway. Matthew Weaver, who co-produced and co-created "Rock of Ages," has purchased the rights to bring "Soul Train" to a theatrical stage. He hopes to have it become a live musical production next year. In a statement, Weaver said: "Don Cornelius created a television show that became a cornerstone in American culture and I am excited and honored to be bringing it to the stage. We are putting together a top-notch team of artists to ensure 'Soul Train' is the hippest trip on Broadway. We want to thrill the audiences who loved the TV show and introduce the incredible music and style of 'Soul Train' to a new generation."
Hey, "Rock Of Ages" was a HUGE musical hit ... and was even turned into a movie.

And, speaking of great musicals being turned into movies, the first official movie trailer was released last week for "Jersey Boys" ... everybody I know has been waiting for this one!!!

Here's another great music documentary to look forward to!  

Kent: 
I just got back from the STAX Museum in Memphis. While there, I heard that PBS ( Channel 11 ) will be running a special documentary this Monday evening @ 9 pm,, April 21, on the famous Alabama, Muscle Schoals recording studio ... many Aretha, Stones, and Wilson Pickett hits were recorded there in the late 60's. STAX and Muscle Schoals were responsible for the majority of the R&B hits of that late 60's era.  
I thought some of your readers would enjoy this ... many American and British bands / artists tried to duplicate the recording techniques that were used at this off-the-highway location.
Not enough credit is given to the studio musicians and recording engineers that made these "hits" come alive. 
Quent Lang
I've been hearing about this one for quite a while now so it'll be cool to finally see it.  (I saw a few clips a couple of months ago and it definitely looks interesting.)  That whole scene had a sound of its own ... and even Elvis Presley and Dusty Springfield flew down there trying to capture a little bit of magic.  Should be a great special.  Thanks, Quent!  (kk)

Hi Kent,
I wanted to make sure you saw this. It reminded me of some great songs that I haven't heard in awhile.
I'm going to dig out some of these records and give them a listen.
Ed Salamon
This is ALWAYS a fun list ... and I know several FH Readers cast their votes again this year.  I never saw the final list ... and missed the on-air countdown ... but you're right ... there are all kinds of great suggestions on this list for deejays to play on their shows ... better than your "canned" research telling you to play the same crap day in and day out ... here's what the music fans REALLY want to hear.  And I'll bet you won't find a real dog on this list!  (kk)

Thanks for the piece on Bill Haley, Kent. I found something else recently about the record and that was that Peter Ford, the son of Glenn Ford, was the reason it was used in Blackboard Jungle. He disliked the “A” side (Thirteen Women) but loved the “B” side (Rock Around The Clock) and played it incessantly at home and his father and him thought it would be good in the film Glenn Ford was about to star in (Blackboard Jungle) and as they say the rest is history.    
Take care,
Rockin’ Lord Geoff  

Hi Kent -  
Thanks, man, for what your doing – learn something every time I get a chance to pop by for a read.     LOVE Bill Haley and have most of the 45’s the group did even pre-Rock Around the Clock.  Great story about the song, even though it had a sad twist but hey, it’s rock and roll!
Jeff James

Hi,
Nice article on the Beatles first radio broadcast.
I found your article after I found this YouTube that claims to be a recording of that actual first broadcast (or at least, they say it's from February 1963, and it IS Dick Biondi).  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2W26aSVEwxY
Not sure if you were aware of that, so there it is.
Thanks for all the research you did on the topic!
- Emily Bristor

Rough week for some of our aging rock stars ... VVN reported last week that Glen Campbell has entered an Alzheimer's facility ... and Fabian underwent heart surgery!  Full stories below:
http://www.vintagevinylnews.com/2014/04/fabian-undergoes-heart-surgery.html  

And, have you ever wondered why 45's have a big hole?  (Sure you have!) 
Got this from FH Readers Frank B ...

Frank also sent us this clip, put together by Wild Wayne ...
Kent ...
Wild Wayne just sent me this tribute he put together ... singers who have died in the last year.
Frank B.

Kent,
Join me in congratulating rock 'n roll rascal Ron Onesti, the Godfather of the Arcada Theater, on his induction this Saturday night into the Chicago 16" Softball Hall of Fame.
Ron could never hit the curve ball but he is being enshrined as a "Pioneer." What hasn't this cat pioneered?
Meanwhile, kk, we gotta talk Ronnie into an All Chicago, All-Star Jam show with members of the NC 6, the Shames, The Ides, The Buckinhams, The Mauds and, of course, ex 6er Ronnie Rice. Two hour show ... 20
songs ... tell me it wouldn't be a blast.
Chet Coppock
Host: Chicago Blackhawks Heritage Series
We've been talking about this for awhile now ... would LOVE to see this all come together ... film the thing for a PBS / Soundstage-type special ... interweave it with vintage clips of all these bands from back in the day ... man, would this be a cool piece of Chicago Rock History.  I've got to believe between ALL of us (band-members included), there just HAS to be a way to pull this off and make this happen.  (kk)

Kent,
Funny you should mention Eric Carmen ...
Eric Carmen was a guest on WJCU's "Retro Radio" oldies program, hosted by Jumpin' Joe Madigan (and heard every Saturday from 3-5:30 PM at www.wjcu.org).
The entire interview can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O1Yt91PbGw and provides a lot of stories of Eric's career before, during and after The Raspberries.
-- Uncle T. Jay


re:  THE SATURDAY SURVEYS:
I really enjoy the blog.
I grew up in central Wisconsin so a lot of the Chicago based surveys are "close to home" for me.  A longtime DJ and 60s radio veteran named Jim Schuh is still active up there. Writing a column for the Portage County Gazette. If I can find any way of hooking you up I will forward on.     
Thank you again for the great memories and reviews. 
Vic Gerard