re: THE SATURDAY SURVEYS:
>>>CKLW was a Canadian radio station ... which might explain why "Can't You See That She's Mine" was already a Top Ten Record there the same week it was premiering on our U.S. Billboard Chart! (They did tend to get the British Invasion hits there first for some reason!) kk
The main reason Canada was releasing the British hits before the U.S. was due to one man - Capitol Records Canada Vice President and A&R head, Paul White.
Paul, who was originally from Britain, released The Beatles singles nearly a year before they hit in America. They didn't sell well at all. In fact, Paul was admonished by his Capitol Canada bosses for putting out duds, but he continued to release their singles until they started to climb the charts and then exploded. On the first few Beatles albums released in Canada, Paul selected the tracks and had a small credit on the back of each album cover "Canadian Production by Paul White".
EMI in Britain had many artists that Paul released early - Gerry & The Pacemakers, The Dave Clark Five (although released on Columbia in England which is why they were released on Epic in the U.S.), Billy J. Kramer, etc. Paul's U.S. counterpart, Dave Dexter in the Capitol Tower in Hollywood kept turning down The Beatles in favor of lighter (some might say sappier) British pop fare such as Matt Monroe (produced, incidentally, by one George Martin) and Frank Ifield.
Paul was also instrumental (pun intended) in signing and releasing singles and albums from new, emerging Canadian acts. He signed Anne Murray after her initial album release on the independent Canadian label Arc as well as groups such as Edward Bear ("Last Song" was their biggest U.S. hit, but they had several more here in Canada) and The Staccatos (from Ottawa), who would later become The Five Man Electrical Band.
Paul White later went to work for Anne Murray's production / management company Balmur, then after his time there, created a series of CD's called "Made In Canada" for RCA / BMG. These were early Canadian hit compilations that featured many songs that had yet to be released on CD. There were four CDs in the series, each one had Canadian hits from different eras. Paul is retired, and still lives in Toronto.
Paul White is someone who should absolutely be in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame (a part of the annual JUNO Awards), but isn't. So there's injustice in the Halls of Fame on both sides of the 49th parallel.
Back in 1984, the JUNOS tried to 'catch up' by inducting several 'early' performers at once (only one person is inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame every year). In '84, they inducted The Crew Cuts, The Diamonds and The Four Lads. They did it again in 1996, inducting David Clayton-Thomas (Blood, Sweat & Tears), Denny Doherty (The Mamas and The Papas), John Kay (Steppenwolf), Domenic Troiano (The James Gang & The Guess Who) and Zal Yanovsky (The Lovin' Spoonful). The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame could easily have something like a 'catch up' year every five years or so and induct a great many of those who well and truly deserve to be there.
By the way, I agree 100% that Ed Sullivan should be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Chubby Checker, too. Maybe even The Guess Who (oh oh, let's not get started on this discussion again).
Doug Thompson (Toronto)
Hi Kent -
Hey, The Fifth Estate is getting mentioned on a lot of the charts you are putting up lately. On the
latest one there the band is #8. Pretty cool to see after all these years - although at times it really just seems like yesterday from what I can remember of it - which may not really be all that much.
One of our first releases (we were still called the D-Men then) "Don't You Know" was released 50 years ago exactly ... NOW! Hard to believe. And is one of the 14 tunes JUST RELEASED on our new, brand new, as in never before existing, but they are all saying should have existed, and was created to be just as if it was and did exist THEN, vinyl 12" black plastic record album called - "I Wanna Shout!"
We, of course, were still The D-Men then in 64-65. It will be out starting this Monday and can be found here then - Http://www.break-a-way.de or through the band website then as well - http://thefifthestateinfo.com/ So if you are interested, get your turn tables tunes up if anyone even has one left.
As I said it's an album of our 1964-65 stuff made just as should have been released then 50 years ago now but wasn't. It has a lot of notes and pictures of the times, maybe not seen by most ever. We plan and have deals on a lot of our music catalogue to be released soon just as it should have been through the 60s. So anyone interested in following us with that - will be treated to reliving the 60s with us and with a few hits and a lot of material which will probably seem fresh and new and some maybe better than our known ones.
Pretty cool to see these charts you have from back then and to listen to these tunes you put up many of which, although we were right in the middle of all that then, I never heard before. Don't think I ever heard that Chartbusters rather Beatlesque one. Pretty good.
We, The Fifth Estate, always tried to be more ourselves and not so Beatlesque as that. But I'm not sure we really had to worry about that all so much as The Beatles were about in their mid 20s by that time and we were only in our mid-teens and had a long way to go development wise. But that development can be heard right on through the 60s with all the upcoming 5E releases to be out soon, three this Summer alone - June 15th, July15th, and August 15th. So we're cookin'.
All the best,
Furv
>>>I think I found a goof on the WJJD Survey ... It Only Hurts For a Little While was actually by the Ames Brothers and it was RCA 47-6481. (Not Decca 47-6481.) I was trying to find that song by the 4 Aces and it doesn't exist! (Charlie)
>>>I checked the chart from the following week and the error had been corrected ... and it was listed properly for the rest of the record's chart run. (kk)
Are you saying that you have the elusive June 18, 1956 WJJD survey #2? Can you send a copy my way?
One vexing thing about missing that particular chart is that somewhere between charts #1 & #3 they changed the artist listed on at least three entries, but the total weeks are shown as if it is the same record. I'm In Love Again goes from the Fontane Sisters to Fats Domino, Transfusion from the Four Jokers to Nervous Norvus and Long Tall Sally from Pat Boone to Little Richard.
Despite the listing, the George Cates record is a medley of Moonglow & Theme From Picnic just like the uncharted Morris Stoloff record.
In later years, this chart would usually contain intentional errors, some of which were quite funny. My favorite was "Monkey Time" by "Hairy Simian".
Ed
NOBODY has Chart #2 ... not that I'm aware of anyway ... I've been looking for it for 35 years and every other collector I know has the same gap in their collection ... there's some speculation that it doesn't exist! (Although I have to believe they didn't just skip a week ... and then call their next chart #3!!!) It was easy enough to figure out what Chart #2 should look like ... I just put together a chart based on the "last week" positions shown on Chart #3 and the most likely "hold-overs" from Chart #1.
Good point 'tho about the title and artist changes ... quite often they ran humorous titles just for the fun of it. (Normally the kind of thing you'd see on an April Fool's Chart!) kk
Kent -
On your WNWC chart from June 22, 1966, one of the three Up and Coming singles is a great, lost single called "Stop! Get a Ticket" by the Clefs of Lavender Hill. This is one of the first records released on the Columbia Records new subsidiary label at that time, Date Records, later the home of Peaches and Herb, the Arbors, and others. The label was run by Tommy Noonan, one of the key people in the chart department at Billboard for many years. This record was played in many markets, including both WKBW and WYSL in Buffalo, but never had simultaneous radio action to get it to move up the chart. An excellent example of a "lost" great record from this period of time. It just validates what you do with the Saturday Surveys and how much many of us, especially me, appreciate it!
CLAY PASTERNACK
I'm not familiar with this one ... but it looks like it went to #80 on The Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart in 1966. (Prior to being released on Date, it was pressed on the Thames record label.) Incredibly, I was able to find a copy ... on iTunes no less! So now we can all enjoy it together! (kk)
re: BEATLES RELATED:
Greetings from Nashville, kk!!
I know you haven't heard from me in a while, but like most people, I work 40 hours a week, read the Forgotten Hits newsletter, and then find some energy to put together a good show for my weekly FLip Side Radio Show! (6 1/2 years and counting ... ).
My most recent show was Beatles Night. Then this weekend around Nashville, I heard two different Beatles cover bands. I've noticed the more the band plays exactly like the Beatles' records, the better the response is from the audience. '
As you know, I play 45's on my show, and I play the A & B sides. When it comes to the Beatles, there were lots of "double - A" records. Anyway, back to the show -- without realizing it, I lined up several records just from 1964. That's not too difficult, considering how many singles the Beatles released in '64! I played records from other years as well.
Anyone can hear the show every Tuesday night at 7 pm (Central time) or Friday night at 11 pm. Just go to RadioFreeNashville.org, and scroll down to "Listen Now!" It works great on smart phones, too.
Here is last week's playlist (sometimes I play the B side first):
Revolution / Hey Jude (Apple Records)
I'll Get You / She Loves You (Swan Records)
Love Me Do / I Feel Fine / Rock & Roll Music (EP 45 on Parlophone Records)
I Want To Hold Your Hand / I Saw Her Standing There (Capitol)
Twist and Shout / There's A Place (Capitol re-pressing)
Let it Be / You Know My Name (Look Up My Number) (Apple)
I Should Have Known Better / A Hard Day's Night (Starline / Capitol re-pressing)
Day Tripper / (Capitol re-pressing) (Ran out of time - playing We Can Work It Out on next show)
The Inner Light / (Capitol re-pressing) (Ran out of time - playing Lady Madonna on next show)
Keep up the good work KK. See you on the FLip Side.
Mr. C.
Speaking of The Beatles, we got this bit of outrageous news from FH Reader Ian Berger:
From billboard.com : A Billboard Beatle Chart Feat Has Been Matched 50 Years Later
(Iggy Azalea is an Australian female hip-hop artist)
Iggy Azalea tallies a third week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Fancy," featuring Charli XCX, and holds at No. 2 as featured on Ariana Grande's "Problem." Azalea continues her record-tying run at the chart's top two spots, as, for a third week, "Fancy" and "Problem" rank at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively. Previously, only the Beatles held the Hot 100's top two rungs simultaneously with their first two Hot 100 entries: On the Feb. 22, 1964, chart, the Fab Four's "I Want to Hold Your Hand" stayed at No. 1 while "She Loves You" pushed 3-2. Azalea has a ways to go before matching how long the Beatles controlled the top two; they logged 10 straight weeks occupying (at least) both Nos. 1 and 2 at the same time, through April 25, 1964, as "Hand" and "She" placed at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, for four weeks; they then reversed ranks for two weeks; for the next four frames, "Can't Buy Me Love" ruled, while "Twist and Shout" was No. 2.
Ian N. Berger / Baltimore, Maryland
I'm sure 50 years from now a publication similar to Forgotten Hits (assuming I've stopped producing it myself by this point ... I've always vowed to stick around until the year 2525 just to see if Zager and Evans were right!) will be sharing memories of this momentous occasion with the legions of Iggy Azalea fans who still hold her in the highest regard for her record-tying accomplishment. History will never forget her incredible musical accomplishment of 2014. (Yeah, right!)
The very idea is simply ludicrous!!! Her #2 Hit isn't even by HER ... she's just a featured artist on somebody else's record! One cannot help but question the credibility of Billboard Magazine for running such a ridiculous piece of crap. On the other hand, Iggy and her publicist must be LOVIN' this!!! (kk)
And more Beatles news ... NBC announced last week that they will be making an 8-part mini-series on The Beatles. No official schedule has been announced ... just the fact that they've green-lit the series.
And, speaking of The Beatles, the complete Mono Album Collection is being released (again!) in September ... on vinyl this time. (Seriously, how many more times are they going to ask us to buy this stuff?!?!?)
Anyway, for the absolute completist, these hit the street September 9th (an important release date in Beatles history of late!) You can buy the complete 14-LP box set (with a deluxe photo booklet) or as individual LPs.
Click here: Beatles' Mono Albums to Be Released on Vinyl ~ VVN Music
(kk)
One last thing (and a final reminder) ... all this week Ringo Starr's Art Exhibit will be running at The Hard Rock Cafe in Downtown Chicago ... free to the public.
Monday Night, WLS Disc Jockey Dick Biondi will be there ... and on Tuesday Night it'll be Clark Weber.
On Thursday Night, Ringo Starr himself will be there, autographing your purchases and posing for pictures ... all leading up to his big show at The Chicago Theater Saturday Night with his All-Starr Band! Should be a GREAT time for fans of this era (and a chance to pick up a one-of-a-kind signed Ringo item, too!)
We'll be heading down on Tuesday Night ... so we hope to see some Forgotten Hits Readers there! (kk)
re: THIS AND THAT:
Thanks for giving FH followers the chance to hear Ray Stevens' "My Dad," which he recorded in 1983 during a brief return to Mercury Records (the track charted early in 1984). Gary Theroux
It's always been one of my favorites ... kind of a seriocomic track that works extremely well. By the way, speaking of Ray Stevens, his brand new biography (titled simply "Nashville") comes out this weekend. Now THAT might be an interesting one to read! (kk)
Click here: 'Ray Stevens' Nashville' Details Comic Performer's Versatile Career | Music News | Rolling Stone
Tom Cuddy sent us this link showing Little Anthony performing his first solo show in New York City since the '70's. (We just saw Anthony a couple of months ago at The Arcada Theatre here in St. Charles, IL ... and it was a GREAT show!) kk
http://joespub.publictheater.org/en/Tickets/Calendar/PlayDetailsCollection/Joes-Pub/Little-Anthony/?SiteTheme=JoesPub
kk with Little Anthony and the Imperials
Kent ...
Scott Shannon is talking to Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad right now. The Happy Together Tour is coming to New York. Scott said the first live act he ever introduced was Grand Funk Railroad at some park in Tennessee.
Frank B.
We'll probably go see The Happy Together Show in August again this year ... first time for me to see Farner and Mitch Ryder. (I think it'd be pretty cool to interview Mark Farner!) kk
Kent,
The memorabilia that Ray Graffia provided on "The Shot Heard Round The World" was great to see. I interviewed Pete Shelton of The Robin Hoods and they made some great recordings and were very popular during their Chicago stint (they hailed from Blackpool, UK). Unfortunately, they're largely forgotten today, even in the Chicago area. Fred Glickenstein also added some cool trivia after he read the interview.
http://www.60sgaragebands.com/robinhoods.html
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