We missed a few big stories while we were on our extended "vacation" ... including the passing of Bob Crewe, which we hope to acknowledge in greater detail at a later date.
Here in Chicago there was some big radio news, too!
re: ON THE RADIO:
Tommy Edwards bid a very tearful and emotional farewell to his audience last week when he signed off for the last time on K-Hits. Tommy's been on the air for the past 54 years (and the bulk of those were spent right here in Chicago on a variety of stations, most notably WLS in its hey-day.) He will be missed. From what I've heard from the many who worked with him or crossed paths with him over the years, a nicer man you'll never meet. Congratulations, Tommy ... on whatever next comes your way. Thanks for being such a big part of our lives ... we love ya! (kk)
Meanwhile, word is Scott Shannon will be returning to The Chicago Airwaves real soon, too, although for now (maybe I should say "for the time being anyway"), through a new, syndicated program that will also be broadcast on K-Hits.
Scott's VERY familiar voice can soon be heard on K-Hits Saturday Mornings (from 6 - 10 am) with "Scott Shannon Presents America's Greatest Hits".
Each hour of the show will feature artist interviews, song countdowns, one-hit-wonders and commentary from Shannon, who says “I love the medium of radio — everybody knows that — and I’ll grab any chance possible to play the greatest hits of all time and tell stories about the artists, and the songs and the era that they come from.”
It all makes sense ... K-Hits was modeled after WCBS-FM in New York where Scott now hosts the city's #1 Morning Show ... so the CBS tie-in to K-Hits is a natural. (I don't know that I'll get up early on a Saturday just to tune in and listen ... I mean the guy is already on 24/7 on The True Oldies Channel ... 20+ hours a week on WCBS-FM and now another four here in Chicago ... just how much Scott Shannon does the world need?!?! lol)
Just kidding ... I swear, the older this guy gets, the greater his popularity grows ... and there's nobody better at what he does ... or loves the oldies more than he does.
So one can't help but wonder ... with the mid-day slot now open again at K-Hits after the departure of Tommy Edwards, could Scott Shannon be returning to Chicagoland Radio again in THIS capacity??? (Why not? His specially-recorded voice-tracked program ran for YEARS on WLS-FM ... in fact, Scott's ratings ... broadcasting from New York ... regularly trumped those of all of our local on-air personalities here in Chicago. And let's face it ... every single one of these stations are playing the exact same songs ANYWAY, so why not?!?!?)
Hopefully Scott will mix things up a bit more with his new "America's Greatest Hits" program ... over the years, this guy has had access to just about EVERYBODY ... and you can ALWAYS get more variety on The True Oldies Channel, too!)
Click here: Scott Shannon's TRUE OLDIES CHANNEL
His new K-Hits program kicks off on October 18th. (kk)
re: THE SATURDAY SURVEYS:
Kent,
The pictures of the DJ's on KIX's survey showed one Russ Spooner doing mornings. He later would be here in OKC doing mornings at WKY - 930 AM. In fact, he was the PD at the time when he came on board. Also, it showed a Charlie Brown working the 6 - 9 PM time slot. WKY also had a Charlie Brown working in the late 60's but it was a different Charlie Brown.
I believe back in those days the air name of Charlie Brown was a dime a dozen.
Larry
Great charts this weekend, Kent!
It's interesting that the Box Tops' "I Met Her In Church" is one of your favorites.
I met her in church on October 20, 1974. Our first date was November 8, 1974. Married her a couple of years later. That's TMI, but since it actually happened to me ...
David
Hi Kent -
Enjoy reading about all the Top 40 Survey Charts.
Everyone remembers the WLS Silver Dollar Surveys, but at the same time WCFL was the top rival to WLS and they printed their surveys also.
I remember receiving a Herb Alpert album in the mail and found out someone sent in my high school photo and WCFL printed it on back of one of the surveys! Memories ...
Keep up the GREAT work!!!
Carolyn
How cool is that?!?! Do you have a copy? (If not, we can probably get one for you ... TONS of survey collectors on our list!)
We've run quite a few 'CFL surveys, too, since we started our new Saturday Surveys feature. I used to pick up BOTH lists every Friday on the way home from school ... and still have a complete set of both charts for as long as they existed. (kk)
Hey Kent,
Just a little side bar about Hurt So Bad which I think I have mentioned before about it being a reluctant hit. Of all the surveys I have collected from across the country from the major markets, Hurt So Bad was in the top 5 but there was a disparity in the time line. By the time it was number one in one city, it had just made the play list in another. There is a month difference between KHJ (#1) in LA and WLS (#2) in Chicago and even a greater disparity in other cities. There were even some markets where it was on their play list, taken off and then put back on. I truly believe that if it had peeked all at once it would have charted higher than #12 on the national charts. We still received gold for it.
I would also like to talk about David Gates who is one of my all time favorite tune makers. We did a few of his songs before he was the famed David Gates. I’m sending one we did in '65 which has a Gary Lewis feel to it. My brother Jim has the lead on it. I thought it was going to make some noise for sure but it didn’t.
Keep up your good work!!!
Thanks,
Ex-Letterman, now The Reunion,
Gary Pike
re: NEW MICHAEL JACKSON:
Have you heard the new Queen track featuring Freddie Mercury's duet with Michael Jackson? Honestly, not much to this track ... yet it still sounds absolutely amazing. Two of the greatest voices we have ever known, singing together for the first and only time. (Reminds you of just how much we lost when these two left us.)
Listen here:
Click here: Hear Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury's Long-Lost Duet | Rolling Stone
re: RECENT AND UP-COMING CONCERTS:
As more and more artists seems prone to do, Stevie Wonder will be performing an entire album's worth of material on a brand new, limited-access tour hitting eleven cities.
Stevie's undertaking may be a little more ambitious than the rest however, as he has decided to perform in its entirety his "Songs In The Key Of Life" LP ... a #1, 2-Disc Set (plus bonus EP) released in 1977.
As was the way back then, Stevie dominated The Grammy Awards with this amazing effort that spawned five hit singles (including two #1's, "Sir Duke" and "I Wish".)
As noted, only eleven cities will be treated to this extravaganza (and Chicago just happens to be one of them!) The full itinerary is as follows:
11/06 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
11/09 - Washington, DC - Verizon Center
11/11 - Boston, MA - TD Garden
11/14 - Chicago, IL - United Center
11/16 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
11/20 - Auburn Hills, MI - The Palace of Auburn Hills
11/22 - Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena
11/25 - Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre
11/29 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena
12/03 - Seattle, WA - Key Arena
12/05 - Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena
While additional cities are not expected to be added, don't be surprised if additional shows in the cities shown above are added to meet the demand for tickets for this very special event. (There are enough open dates here to add at least one more show to every city ... and hot spots like Chicago, Madison Square Garden and The MGM Grand seem likely candidates to accommodate some additional performances.
I won free tickets to see Stevie Wonder many, many years ago (his "Hotter Than July" album had just come out) and it was a GREAT show. As evidenced by many recent television appearances, Stevie is still in great voice ... and this is a "can't miss" show, performing one of my favorite albums. (kk)
Here's one I've just GOT to see (if it ever comes to be!!!)
A couple of months ago we told you about Jeff Lynne (of Electric Light Orchestra fame) doing his first solo show in nearly thirty years.
Well, that all happened last week ... and man, what a set list!!! Some of the greatest hits of our lives were played that night!
This was supposed to be just a one-off concert ... but now Jeff is saying that since things went over so well, he just might like to do a world tour!!! (And how awesome would THAT be?!?!?) Here's the full report from Vintage Vinyl News:
Jeff Lynne took the stage at the Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park festival on Sunday with the BBC Concert Orchestra for his first full concert in 28 years.
Before coming on stage it was announced that Lynne had said that, if all went well with the show, he was seriously considering a world tour and, by all indications, everything went EXTREMELY well. The BBC Concert Orchestra was a superb stand in for the original ELO and Lynne was in perfect voice, not showing any sign at all of aging in his normal range or during falsetto passages. The original recordings were reproduced all the way down to the ringing sound in Telephone Line.
Lynne covered a great deal of the ELO canon and even snuck in one song from his Traveling Wilburys days.
The set list:
Main SetAll Over the World (from the soundtrack to Xanadu, 1980)
Evil Woman (from Face the Music, 1975)
Ma-Ma-Ma-Belle (from On the Third Day, 1973)
Showdown (from On the Third Day, 1973)
Living Thing (from A New World Record, 1976)
Strange Magic (from Face the Music, 1975)
10538 Overture (from No Answer, 1971)
Can't Get It Out Of My Head (from Eldorado, 1974)
Sweet Talking Woman (from Out of the Blue, 1977)
Turn to Stone (from Out of the Blue, 1977)
Steppin' Out (from Out of the Blue, 1977)
Handle With Care (from the Traveling Wilburys' Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1, 1988)
Don't Bring Me Down (from Discovery, 1979)
Rock 'n' Roll is King (from Secret Messages, 1983)
Telephone Line (from A New World Record, 1976)
Mr. Blue Sky (from Out of the Blue, 1977)
Encore
Roll Over Beethoven (from Electric Light Orchestra 2, 1973)
Speaking of great concerts, here is an excellent review of some shows that took place at The World Trade Center before 9/11 ... a nice (and fitting) tribute to this recent anniversary ...
Click here: The Summer Hits Series at the World Trade Center and the Day the Music Died: Fufkin.com: Dawn Eden: October, 2001
Star Plaza's putting on a Thanksgiving Soul Jam on Friday, November 28th, featuring The O'Jays, The Dramatics and The Manhattans ... more details on their website:
Click here: Tickets | The O'Jays - Merrillville IN at Ticketmaster
And here's a band we never expected to hear from again! (kk)
Gunhill Road CD Release Show ~~Doors Open 6:30~ ~
Hosted by:
Gunhill Road with A2A Productions
When:
Saturday, September 13, 2014 at 07:00 PM
Where:
The Bitter End
147 Bleecker St
New York NY 10012
I interviewed Gunhill Road earlier this year. They are getting set for their new release!
Phil - WRCO
Of course their big claim to fame (in One Hit Wonder Land) was "Back When My Hair Was Short", a #25 (CB) record in 1973! (Hey, I always dug it!) Even bigger here in Chicago where it peaked at #13 on the WCFL Chart. (kk)
Eagle Rock Entertainment will be releasing two classic Rolling Stones concerts from the vaults ... a 1981 concert recorded at The Hampton Coliseum and a vintage 1975 show from The L.A. Forum, both scheduled for release in November!
THE ROLLING STONES
FROM THE VAULT - HAMPTON COLISEUM – LIVE IN 1981
~SD BLU-RAY, DVD / 2 CD, DVD / 3 LP, DVD, AND DIGITAL FORMATS~
~NOVEMBER 4, 2014~
FROM THE VAULT – L.A. FORUM – LIVE IN 1975
~DVD, DVD / 2 CD, DVD / 3 LP, AND DIGITAL FORMATS~
~NOVEMBER 18, 2014~
BOTH SHOWS RESTORED AND NEWLY MIXED BY BOB CLEARMOUNTAIN
New York, NY (September 17, 2014)—Eagle Rock Entertainment are about to deliver a double dose of Rolling Stones this November, with the debut of the new series of live concerts: From The Vault.
From The Vault will unveil live concert films from the Rolling Stones archive, now receiving their first official release. The footage from these concerts have been carefully restored, and the sound has been newly mixed by Bob Clearmountain. From The Vault – Hampton Coliseum – Live In 1981 will be released simultaneously on SD Blu-ray, DVD / 2 CD, DVD / 3 LP, DVD, and Digital Formats on November 4, 2014 [Pre-book Order Date October 10, MSRP $17.98 SD Blu-ray, $29.98 DVD / 2 CD, $44.98 DVD / 3 LP, and $TBA DVD]. From The Vault – L.A. Forum – Live In 1975 will be released on DVD, DVD / 2 CD, DVD / 3 LP, and Digital Video on November 18, 2014 [Pre-book Order Date October 24, MSRP $TBA DVD, $29.98 DVD / 2 CD, $TBA DVD / 3 LP].
Hampton Coliseum – Live In 1981 boasts a full-length 2 1/2 hour concert, featuring “Under My Thumb,” “Let’s Spend The Night Together,” “Shattered,” “Beast Of Burden,” “Tumbling Dice,” “Miss You,” “Brown Sugar,” “Jumping Jack Flash,” “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” and many more. The Rolling Stones American Tour in 1981, in support of the critical and commercial smash Tattoo You, was the most successful tour of that year, taking in a then record $50 million dollars in ticket sales. The 50-date tour kicked off in Philadelphia in September 1981 and ended with two dates in Hampton, Virginia on December 18 and 19. The show on December 18th, which was also Keith Richards’ birthday, was the first ever music concert to be broadcast on television as a pay-per-view event.
L.A. Forum – Live In 1975 also clocks in at 2 ½ hours, and features “Honky Tonk Women,” “Gimme Shelter,” “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” “Tumbling Dice,” “Brown Sugar,” “Midnight Rambler,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” and “Sympathy For The Devil,” to name a few. The Rolling Stones’ “Tour Of The Americas ‘75” was the band’s first tour with new guitarist Ronnie Wood. Even before the dates started, there were dramatic scenes in New York City at the official tour announcement, when the band unexpectedly turned up on a flatbed truck to play “Brown Sugar.” After a couple of low-key warm-up shows in Louisiana, the tour began on June 3, with a 44-date run lasting through August 8. They settled into the L.A. Forum for a five-night stint from July 9th to 13th. The L.A. Forum – 1975 film features the show from July 12th.
The electricity and power of the Rolling Stones onstage is a concert event like no other. From The Vault perfectly captures two separate evenings that prove why a Rolling Stones concert is the ultimate live experience.
Click here to view a video of "Shattered" from Hampton Coliseum - Live In 1981 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tj96Tau44OA
Click here to view a video of "Star Star" from L.A Forum - Live In 1975 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ou90MPHZzXs
HAMPTON COLISEUM TRACK LISTING:
1) Under My Thumb
2) When The Whip Comes Down
3) Let’s Spend The Night Together
4) Shattered
5) Neighbours
6) Black Limousine
7) Just My Imagination
8) Twenty Flight Rock
9) Going To A Go Go
10) Let Me Go
11) Time Is On My Side
12) Beast Of Burden
13) Waiting On A Friend
14) Let It Bleed
15) You Can’t Always Get What You Want
16) Band Introductions
17) Happy Birthday Keith
18) Little T & A
19) Tumbling Dice
20) She’s So Cold
21) Hang Fire
22) Miss You
23) Honky Tonk Women
24) Brown Sugar
25) Start Me Up
26) Jumping Jack Flash
27) (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
L.A. FORUM TRACK LISTING:
1) Introduction*
2) Honky Tonk Women
3) All Down The Line
4) If You Can’t Rock Me / Get Off Of My Cloud
5) Star Star
6) Gimme Shelter
7) Ain’t Too Proud To Beg
8) You Gotta Move
9) You Can’t Always Get What You Want
10) Happy
11) Tumbling Dice
12) It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll
13) Band Intros*
14) Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)* </span