Wednesday, January 28, 2015

A Few Of Your Mid-Week Comments

re:  Super Bowl:  
This just in to the Bronco Buelly Sports Department!  
Super Bowl Officials are contemplating changing the Half Time Show Performance by Katy Perry to a more timely and relatable group ... Air Supply!   
Chuck Buell   

And, speaking of sports, this just in from noted Forgotten Hits Trouble-Maker Chet Coppock ...   

Hi Kent,  
Looking forward to seeing you sooner rather then later at the Ronnie Onesti Palace.
I don’t have to tell you that I'm a shameless self promoter and part time, 18 hours a day, hustler. So, just a reminder that my new book "Buffone", the story of legendary Bears linebacker, Doug Buffone, will be out later this year. I hope the F.H. regulars will leap on this silver platter of football yarns, laughs, physical anguish, nights that never ended, and uppers along with so damn many little yellow pills.
Just 20 bucks. Will help me pay for the cycle I plan to buy to celebrate my 67th birthday in April.
 
Chet   

And, speaking of Chet ...  

re:  Paul Evans:
Okay, I guess I have to weigh in on this cutting edge topic.
Guys, everybody take a deep breath. I wasn't be bemoaning Paul Evans when I took the shot at "Seven Little Girls" ... I was just saying that it's a song that leaves my ear drums bleeding any time I hear it. To knock Paul   Evans himself would be the theater of the absurd. My gosh, his list of accomplishments is beyond noteworthy.Did I also mention that I can live without "Speedy Gonzales", "In The Year 2525" and anything by REO Speedwagon?Hey, we all have different tastes. I happen to love Pearl Jam and Freddy Cannon.Kent, you were right about the Colony and "Treaty Her Groovy, Take Her To a Movie." I was with Ronnie, Ray and the Six when they recorded that song at the Chess Recording Studio.F.H. fans, let's be real. This site needs a villain and I am happy to play the role. It allows me to relive my days as a wrestling ring announcer for Vince McMahon.  Hey, maybe I should stir the pot every two weeks ... apparently, much like wrestling fans, FH readers love to have a heel to jeer!
Ciao,
Chet Coppock
Author: Chet Coppock: Laying It On The Line
  
 


Hi Kent, 
To rebut Chet’s choices ...
To be honest, I don’t have a problem with any of them. Not even ‘Miss You’ and I’m not a disco kind of guy. I actually like ‘Seven Little Girls Sittin' in the Back Seat with Fred’. As for ‘Disco Duck’, I don’t think I’ve ever heard it all the way through! 
I see music as a time line of history ... “the music of our lives”. It makes you think about that era, maybe reminisce a bit. 
Keep up the great work. Hope to see you at  a show again soon.   
Scott Schultz


Hi,
Let me introduce myself. 
My name is Lee Douglas ... I am a friend of Paul Evans and have been for many years. I am the producer and host of Old Time Rock n Roll, the largest oldies podcast in the world. I am heard in 21 countries and all over the US. It is surprising that we have never crossed paths as I, too, do a blog called Forgotten Rock n Rollers. I have been in the business of podcasting for nine years with my show, with 665 shows under my belt. I was also involved with Alan Freed in New York in the 1950's as president of the Bill Haley International Fan Club. I, too, got incensed at the flippant, callous way Coppock treated our music heritage as a whole and singling out Paul's song . Everyone has a song that sticks in their craw, one they just can't stand. This is the sports guy right? He only knows what he likes and doesn't like. I have come up against musicologists actually who know less about our music than he does.The whole fact that we lived in a time when things were bland to a degree is what made it so special. The tag line for my show really says it all. "Return with us to a time where the only problem we had was getting a date for Saturday night." Give me your links and how to join the fray and I'll take a few shots at this guy just for the fun of it.
Thanks  
-- Lee Douglas  
Producer/host: Old Time Rock n Roll
www.oldtimernr.com  
http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/2668  http://otrnrcontact.blog.com/  
I don't know that we really need to beat Chet up anymore over this ... check out his comments above ... as stated, his pot shots weren't at Paul Evans directly but rather at one of those songs that (in his words) makes his ears bleed every time he hears it!  (lol)  Let's face it, we've ALL got a few of those!!!  Welcome to the list ... would love to share your insight with our other readers so feel free to comment when the mood strikes you.  (kk)    

To my friends in the Oldies community ... 
It seems that Chet Coppock's criticism of "Seven Little Girls" on Kent Kotal's Forgotten Hits blog didn't sit too well with many Oldies fans. 
Here's a link to the responses, "The Forgotten Hits "Pledge Of Allegiance" to Paul Evans / And Music Appreciation Society"    
http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-forgotten-hits-pledge-of-allegiance.html  
And, if you'd like to read more Forgotten Hits, I'm also including a link to Kent's daily columns:  
Click here: Forgotten Hits  
Paul  

What I love is the fact that both Paul and Chet are able to still be good sports and "big boys" after all of this ... laugh it off and even have some fun with it.  All of us are grown-ass men now and have all had to deal with our share of criticism over the years ... I'm glad to see that we can agree to disagree, dust ourselves off and move on.  (Believe me, there are PLENTY of cry-babies in rock and roll still out there ... you have NO idea!!!  Someday I'll share some of THOSE stories with you!!!)  kk   

re:  The Little River Band:  
Got this from FH Reader Tom Cuddy ...   
LITTLE RIVER BAND: Original Frontman Glenn Shorrock Blames New Leader  
Glenn Shorrock, the voice of The Little River Band's hits of the '70s and early '80s, feels encouraged by the support of fans and fellow musicians, but remains frustrated that he can't secure bookings in North America. He tells us exclusively from Down Under that '80s member and trademark holder Steven Housden has been the problem. 
Glenn Shorrock was angered at being blocked by the owner of the Little River Band trademark.  
OC: ... gonna take anymore. :25 [phone quality]  
GS"  Every time we make a move to come into America, we get injunctions thrown at us that have stymied everything that we've tried to do. I'm just a solo, and I go out as the voice of The Little River Band basically; but that's here in Australia. Then this situation came up and I just saw red this time. To quote Peter Finch, 'I'm as mad as hell and I'm not gonna take anymore'.  
But Shorrock's actions -- backed by fans and even fellow musicians -- bar the current LRB from playing the hits written and sung by the original lineup. He, Beeb Birtles and Graeme Goble formed the band 40 years ago in Australia.   
Glenn Shorrock said fans and even the Little River Band's former agent helped cancel the Tonight Show appearance by current LRB, who never played on their hits.  
OC: ...a small victory. :20 [phone quality]  
GS:  I wrote a fairly stern letter. So did a lot of other people, they caught fire a bit, all our fans over these who've been supporting us for years now, about this whole situation. They were livid, our agent, our old agent, he came to the party as well. So, with all the backlash about it, they dropped it. So we've scored a small victory. 
The problem with lineups misusing the name of famous groups isn't just reserved for oldies or classic pop acts. Shorrock is grateful for the efforts of artists such as Mary Wilson, Jon "Bowzer" Bauman and the late Gene Hughes, who helped enact legislation in several states.   
Glenn Shorrock says the Truth in Music effort is growing -- thanks to famous supporters.
OC: ... on all the time. :17 [phone quality]
GS:  That's gathering strength, and I'm certainly interested in becoming a part of that -- lend my voice to it. Dave Grohl from Nirvana, he's heard about it, too. So there's a lot of heavyweights out there that want to stop this thing going on all the time."  
While unable to work here as part of Little River Band, Shorrock has received other offers, including from one of The Beatles.
Glenn Shorrock has received offers to return to North America.
OC: ... Yacht Rock, a tour. :09 [phone quality]
GS:  I've been approached by the Ringo Starr All Starr, at one point. Also, somebody wanted me to do something called Yacht Rock, a tour."
Though he has no current U.S. bookings, you can follow him at GlennShorrock.com.

re:  The Monday Morning 50 Year Flashback:
Kent,
If you will, I would just like to ramble on about a few things in regards to today's FH. First, the song by Robert Goulet was big here in OKC, but without checking, I don't think it went as high as #3. I remember that many, many years ago, Robert Goulet was on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and began lambasting the radio stations here in the country for not playing his record which he had out currently. This was in the seventies. CAMEL WALK by the Ikettes did not chart here in OKC but their biggest record here in that period of time was PEACHES AND CREAM. At first I thought the record was the same as the Allen Freed tune of years earlier, but his was called CAMEL ROCK.
Song #39 by the Kinks reminds me, of course, of the current commercial running on television about
yogurt. I'm sure it is running up there in your part of the country. Finally, in the Platter Poll records,
the one by the Exciters, of course, reminded me of the Frankie Lymon tune earlier in 1956. 
I always like to go online and try to find those records listed on your charts that didn't make it
here in OKC. Some I like and some I don't.
Larry Neal
I find the fact that Robert Goulet's record being as big as it was still quite shocking.  (Remember, it was Bob Goulet singing on tv that prompted Elvis to pull his pistol and shoot the screen out that night!)  kk    

Kent -
On a topic besides Chet's comments, I was intrigued as I perused the WKDA (Nashville) survey from fifty years ago and noticed two new entries on the survey that did not become national hits until quite a bit later. 
"Baby Don't Go" by Sonny and Cher was first released in September of 1964, but it was not until the following September - after the success of "I Got You, Babe"  - that it was re-released and reached #8 on the Billboard charts.  It was not until June of 1966 that "Billy and Sue" by B.J. Thomas and the Triumphs hit the national charts and peaked at #34.
Dan Crabtree
Wheaton, IL    

re:  Cool Clips:
Wages of Spin II  "Bring Down That Wall" Trailer is now showing on Comcast Xfinity Site:   http://xfinity.comcast.net/video/wages-of-spin-ii-bring-down-that-wall/384319043673/Comcast/fanMovies_newest  

This is cool, indeed!  Rog and I went to concert in '75 of Chicago and Beach Boys at CSU and Elton showed up because he was recording at Caribou at the time.  He came on at the end and they all did "Jumpin Jack Flash."  Chicago's TV special was shot at Caribou Ranch. 
Here's clips including a look from above of the ranch:
I've been following this since I became a ( not-for-profit ) financial supporter a couple of years ago! (Well, I did get a Beverage Mug out of the Deal!)
Wrecking Crew Movie Preview 2:25
Chuck Buell
.                                  Official Poster
.  
From time to time while giving my “Rock & Roll” talks down through the years I would refer to the “Wrecking Crew” as the real artists of all those hits of the 60’s. The faces of the audience would fall and they simply couldn’t believe it. Now they’ve made a movie out of it. Should be fun to see so many of my old friends again, Dick Clark, The Beach Boys, Sonny & Cher, The Righteous Two and so many others. 
Clark Weber
It's an amazing film ... and we've been singing its praises for about seven years now as it made the rounds on the film festival circuit, trying to raise enough money to pay off the ENORMOUS royalties incurred in a film that features THIS much music.  
We heard from several FH Readers last week, excited to hear the news that "The Wrecking Crew" documentary was coming out in select theaters prior to its official release on DVD.  Producer Denny Tedesco tells us:

Dear Wrecking Crew Family and Friends,
Happy Happy New Year!!
I know you've all been waiting patiently for the news of the Wrecking Crew Release. We are proud to announce that Magnolia Pictures has picked up the film for distribution.
Magnolia will release the film as a limited theatrical release and VOD (Video on Demand) at the same time. As you can see, Magnolia has produced the newest poster for the film (at right).  You should also
check out the newest cut of the trailer.
Anyone that is receiving this email made this all happen. If you donated, saw the film, bought merchandise, told someone about the film or just signed on for info; that made the difference. We showed them that there is an audience for this film. It took years, but we all did it.
After 18 years, the film will finally be seen to a wider audience. On February 20th, the film will be open at the
Bloor Cinema Theater Toronto, Canada.
On March 13th, we will be opening in New York at the
IFC Center in New York and in Los Angeles at the NUART Theater.
Other theaters will be announced as soon as they are booked.
The Kickstarter DVDs and downloads will be sent soon after the theatrical release runs its course. As I said to many of you before, I apologize for the wait and still can't figure out why I gave myself a six month window to deliver the DVDs. I'm still finishing up the last paperwork.
The theatrical release by a company like Magnolia is a thrill for a filmmaker. Even though the film will live on DVD and digitally forever, there is still that thrill of seeing the film with an audience or group. Ask anyone that has seen the film.
I'm conducting a contest for those who want to see the film in their local theater. My goal is to show Magnolia where our audiences are. You don't have to be a big city for us to bring the film to you.
Just give us your zip code and email and we will push for a screening in your hometown. If your town is chosen we will randomly pick two tickets for opening at that theater. Follow this link, and enter your zip code in the body of the email message: Click Here and Give Us your Zip Code
Now lets blow them away and spread the word.
Take care and happy and healthy New Year.
Denny Tedesco
    


Many of us were in high school in the late 50's and will remember when Jerry Lee Lewis hit the charts in 1957-58 with "Whole Lot of Shakin' Going On" and "Great Balls of Fire."  He faded away for a while after marrying his cousin.  But when he played the piano, he slammed the keys with both hands, occasionally running his fingers down the entire length of the keyboard, then played with only a couple of fingers as he almost whispered, "Easy now ..." only to come back to full power on the keys.  With all of that said, this kid, who allegedly walked into a hardware store and sat down to an old piano, has Jerry Lee in his blood.  Enjoy.  It's less than three minutes from start to finish, and he's dynamite!
Click here: (1) Steve Hayes
Gary Pike   
This one's a "must see" ... check out this rambunctious kid!!!  (kk)     

This is a true story and not a joke. " OK... A young man named Jacob Tolliver enters a local hardware store on Market Street in Portsmouth, Ohio and finds an unfinished piano ! He didn't have a pig under his arm."..... but please, share if you find this absolutely amazing !" — with Jacob Tolliver at Market Street Hardware & Toytown.
-- Steve Hayes

Speaking of cool and important videos, we've been holding on to THESE two for over two weeks now!!!  (We have fallen SO far behind here lately that we were nearly 200 emails behind in posts ... when I first saw the Cop / "Shake It Off" video, it had 984 views .... it's now up well over 25 MILLION ... and closing in on 30!!!  And the Bruno Mars track is about the coolest ... and closest ... he's ever come to  rechanneling his inner James Brown.  Both are worthy of another look, even if you HAVE seen them before!)  kk





Kent ...
According to Ron Smith's book, "Eight Days A Week," 1/18/1975  =  "Bobby Vinton Day" is celebrated in Chicago as Mayor Richard Daley dubs him "The Polish Prince."  Do you remember?
Frank B.

I sure do!  Bobby Vinton was MEGA popular here in Chi-Town ... and how cool that Frank selected "Roses Are Red" for this video clip ... a full TEN DAYS before all the Paul Evans shit hit the fan!!!  That's because it's a GREAT song ... Bobby's first #1 Hit in Billboard (the first of FOUR, I might add ... and "My Melody Of Love", Bobby's Polka from 1974, topped the charts in numerous cities as well.  (kk)