Man, THIS sure sounds like a fun night out ... I would LOVE to see all these acts performing together ... how cool that Tony Burrows is doing shows now ... think of all the bands he was associated with back in the early '70's!!! (I know we have a lot of Tony Burrows fans on the list ... hopefully this will turn into more of a tour than a one-off performance so others around the country will have the chance to see him, too.) kk
Hi Kent,
I just wanted you to know that our new and improved website, www.theairplaychannel.com, is up. We've added some new interviews and hope to shoot some more soon. We just posted our first trivia quiz. We'll randomly select one of the people with the highest score and they'll win a DVD of "Airplay". Comments are welcome. We'd also really appreciate it if you guys would like our Facebook page, "Airplay: The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio". I'm hoping to get a schedule of where and when it's airing. We really appreciate the support you've given us.
Thanks,
Carolyn Travis
Always glad to help. As you know, I love this film and am happy to help spread the word. Please do send us a list of airdates and we'll be happy to pass it along to our readers. Thanks, Carolyn! (kk)
Kent,
I really enjoyed seeing the 50 year old KRLA chart ... a lot of memories there. At that time, I was playing 'good music' doing the all-niter on KKOP-FM in L.A. I listened mostly to KRLA during my awake hours and have to tell you it was a magical summer.
The year before, right after I left active duty with the USAF, I got a job in a local factory to tide me over until I could adjust to civilian life. Working in the mail room was Randy Nauert, who moonlighted as the bass player with the local surf band, The Challengers. Once he found out my DJ experience in Texas and AFRTS, we became fast friends.
Fast forward to the summer of '65. I was grabbing a late bite to eat at the local "Bob's Big Boy" just before I had to start my shift at the station. While I was sitting there, in walked Randy and the rest of the band. They joined me in my booth so I sat and listened as they talked about the gig they had just finished.
As I was leaving, Randy mentioned that they were playing at the "Orange County World Teen Fair" the next weekend and I should be there. That sounded good to me so I made my plans.
I showed up about 7:45 and caught the last 20 minutes of their set. I also found out they would be the back-up band for the various headliners that would be appearing that evening. When Randy saw me in the crowd, he waved at me to come up to the stage and when I got there, he invited me to join him backstage. I accepted, and that visit was to be one of the most memorable of my life.
In addition to The Challengers, I was able to hang out with The Dixie Cups ("Chapel Of Love"), Jay and The Americans, Sam The Sham and The Pharaohs and (best of all) The Righteous Brothers. I didn't say anything, just shook some hands and listened to the conversations. It was about 30 minutes of Rock And Roll Heaven.
50 years have gone by since that memorable night, but hardly a day goes by that I don't recall that special moment and give thanks that I was there. I still exchange E-Mails with Randy once in a while and I thank him most every time for that thrill.
Thanks for your good work ... "Keep On Truckin'" and doing it right!!!
Jim (Southern) Pritchard
‘FAMILY REUNION’ AT THE OL’ BALL GAME FOR BLACK MUSIC MONTH
Sound of Philadelphia legends come together to salute The O’Jays and Jean Carne
at the 12th Annual Phillies African-American Heritage Celebration.
L-R: Dexter Wansel, Kenneth Gamble, Eddie Levert, Eric Grant, Jean Carne,
Walter Williams, Leon Huff, Billy Paul. Photo Credit: Mitchell Leff
SOUND OF PHILADELPHIA LEGENDS COME TOGETHER TO SALUTE THE O’JAYS AND JEAN CARNE AT PHILLIES AFRICAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE CELEBRATION
PHILADELPHIA – Forty years after releasing the Family Reunion album on the iconic Philadelphia International Records, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees The O’Jays were a primary catalyst behind a family reunion of their former label mates June 5 at the 12th Annual Phillies African-American Heritage Celebration, hosted by fellow Rock & Roll Hall of Famers and “Sound of Philadelphia” architects Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff at Citizens Bank Park in honor of Black Music Month.
Gamble & Huff presented The O’Jays and R&B and jazz legend Jean Carne with the Phillies Gamble & Huff Community Partnership Award and were joined in the celebration by fellow PIR greats Billy Paul (“Me & Mrs. Jones”), producer Dexter Wansel, and pop-R&B songwriter Bunny Sigler, who sang the National Anthem. Ms. Carne performed her PIR hit single, “Don’t Let It Go to Your Head.”
With Gamble & Huff, The O'Jays emerged at the forefront of Philadelphia soul with "Back Stabbers" (1972), and topped the Billboard Hot 100 the following year with "Love Train". Numerous other hits followed for PIR, topped by “For the Love of Money,” “I Love Music,” and “Use Ta Be My Girl.” The O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.
Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International Records became the birthplace, incubator and launching pad for the Philly Soul sound aka “The Sound of Philadelphia (TSOP),” a unique blend of R&B rhythms, sweet soul vocals, deep funk grooves, pulsing horn charts and lush string arrangements with melodic structures combining elements of pop, jazz and world music. With a stable core of artists led by The O'Jays, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Billy Paul, MFSB and the Three Degrees, Gamble & Huff co-founded Philadelphia International Records and began creating monster hits from nearly the first day of its inception in 1971. They continued to record, collaborate and produce major hits with a galaxy of stars from the pop, rock, soul and jazz universes, including Michael Jackson and the Jacksons, Elton John, Lou Rawls, Teddy Pendergrass, Patti LaBelle, the Spinners, the Stylistics, the Delfonics, Dusty Springfield, Jerry Butler, Wilson Pickett, LaBelle, Archie Bell & the Drells, the Soul Survivors, Laura Nyro, the Trammps, McFadden & Whitehead, Phyllis Hyman, the Dells and many more.
Gamble & Huff created and are credited for launching one of the most celebrated and historic songwriting partnerships that spawned into a sophisticated sound lovingly crafted in the studio by some of the 20th century's most influential producers and studio teams -- including Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, Thom Bell, Linda Creed, Gene McFadden and John Whitehead, Bunny Sigler, Dexter Wansel, Bobby Martin, MFSB Orchestra, Baker, Harris and Young, Joe Tarsia (Sigma Sound) and others – Philly Soul set the stage for disco, smooth jazz, adult contemporary music and more. Gamble & Huff began celebrating their 50th Anniversary this year. The celebration will continue in 2016 with the projected release of their Autobiographical Book and the launch of their Theatrical Play on their historic Life Story and creation of one of America’s great music catalogues, known as “The Sound of Philadelphia.”
Here's a satisfying anniversary worth celebrating ...
We’ve been celebrating the fact that The Rolling Stones epochal hit “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” the band’s first U.S. #1, was released 50 years ago. It soon became the band’s signature song and, of course, occupies a special place on their current Zip Code Tour set list: it’s the finale.
We thought it would be fun to share the Billboard Hot 100 from the week it first entered the chart. There aren’t many, if any, artists whose hits are chronicled here who are still at after all this time but, of course, “Satisfaction” and the Stones aren’t like anything that’s come before or since.
Scroll down past the chart for news of ABKCO’s release of a special limited edition “I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction 12” single that will be released on the 50th anniversary of the original record going to #1.
THE ROLLING STONES’ “(I CAN’T GET NO) SATISFACTION” IS 50 - ABKCO TO REISSUE SINGLE ON SPECIAL 12” VINYL FORMAT JULY 10
Released during the first week of June in 1965, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones proved to be a monumental single, not just in terms of airplay and chart position (their first U.S. #1), but also in terms of shaping popular music. The song that, according to Newsweek, contains the “five notes that shook the world” has proven itself timeless. A half-century later, the Rolling Stones played the song as their finale on the opening night of their Zip Code Tour of North America 2015.
The idea of writing a song around a riff (a repeating sequence of notes), rather than a vocal melody or chord progression, though not unprecedented at the time, had yet to take rock music by storm. “Satisfaction” was the storm. Over the course of the next several years, the shift in focus towards the riff took hold, and can be still heard in popular music today.
On July 10, ABKCO Records will celebrate the golden anniversary of “Satisfaction” by releasing a limited edition, numbered 12-inch version of the single on 180-gram vinyl. While the smash hit comprises the entire A-side, the B-side consists of both original U.S. and UK “Satisfaction” flip sides: “The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man” and “The Spider and the Fly,” respectively. The record is housed in a sleeve featuring award-winning photographer David Bailey’s shot of the group, recreating the original 7-inch single artwork. Mastered by Carl Rowatti at Trutone Mastering Labs and cut from the original mono master tapes, the 45-rpm 12-inch format makes this a true audiophile pressing, allowing for wider grooves that yield louder levels, broader range, deeper bass and better high frequency response.
London Records (the Stones’ U.S. label at the time) released “Satisfaction” in the first week of June, less than a month after the track was recorded at RCA Studios in Hollywood, CA on May 12, 1965. By June 12, the single had entered both the Billboard and Cashbox charts. Over the course of the next month, “Satisfaction” shot straight to the top, hitting #1 in Record World on July 3, where it held its position for three weeks; Billboard and Cashbox followed suit, declaring it #1 on July 10, where it stayed for four weeks. Sales-wise, “Satisfaction” was an unparalleled success – it became the group’s first RIAA-certified gold record on July 19, 1965.
The UK version of the “Satisfaction” single, released by Decca on August 20, 1965, would become the band’s fourth #1 single in their home territory. The track made its LP debut on July 30 of that year, when it was included on the U.S. version of Out of Our Heads. ABKCO Films’ much-lauded documentary The Rolling Stones Charlie is my Darling – Ireland 1965 features the band’s first ever performance of “Satisfaction” to a paying audience, played Dublin’s Adelphi Theatre on September 3 of that year. (See link below)
The iconic guitar riff that opens the song was composed by Keith Richards who recorded the sequence of notes on a home tape recorder while in a dreamlike state in the middle of the night when the band was on tour in the U.S. After listening to his own recording and devising the song title “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” he played the riff for Mick Jagger by the pool at the Gulf Motel in Clearwater, FL in early May, 1965. Jagger immediately composed the lyrics.
Having scrapped a version of “Satisfaction” that was recorded at Chess Studios in Chicago on May 10, the group re-recorded the song at RCA Studios in Hollywood, CA on May 12. It was this version that would take over the airwaves and shoot up the charts the following month.
Textured by the aid of a Maestro Fuzz-Tone pedal, Richards’ riff was originally intended to be replaced by a horn section, but the recording sounded complete to producer/manager Andrew Loog Oldham and engineer David Hassinger. Jagger’s lyrics, simultaneously expressing sexual frustration and disdain for consumerist messages, would strike a nerve with the mostly young, rock ‘n’ roll buying public. Ironically, the only two people in the Stones’ camp who were initially against turning “Satisfaction” into a single were Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.
“The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man,” credited to Nanker Phelge (a pseudonym used on compositions written by the entire band), is a lighthearted jab at George Sherlock, an employee of London Records at the time, who accompanied the group on their first U.S. tour. The Stones saw Sherlock as a vain, toupee-topped, seersucker suited music biz flunky who was ultimately harmless. In later years, Sherlock expressed pride in having been the subject of the song. Loosely based on Buster Brown’s hit “Fannie Mae,” it is the lyrical content that gives the tune historic importance; the prodding of authority figures through song was almost unprecedented at the time. In the UK, Decca decided to instead use the country-blues composition “The Spider and the Fly” (also by Jagger/Richards) as the B-side to “Satisfaction,” the company assuming that the abundance of American references on “The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man” may have gone over the heads of British listeners.
Pressed by Quality Record Pressings in Salina, KS, and limited to 10,000 numbered copies in North America, ABKCO’s “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” 12-inch single will be released a half-century to the day after the landmark song dominated U.S. charts and helped transform the course of pop music history.
Pre-order link: http://smarturl.it/Satisfaction50th
ROLLING STONES’ “(I Can’t Get No) SATISFACTION” 12-inch
Side A: (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
Side B: The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man / The Spider and the Fly
ABOUT ABKCO - ABKCO Music & Records is one of the world’s leading independent entertainment companies. It is home to iconic music catalogs that include compositions and recordings by Sam Cooke, The Rolling Stones, Bobby Womack, Eric Burdon, The Animals, Herman’s Hermits, Marianne Faithfull, The Kinks as well as the Cameo Parkway masters by such artists as Chubby Checker, Bobby Rydell, Clint Eastwood, The Dovells, ? & The Mysterians, Charlie Gracie, The Tymes and Dee Dee Sharp. Soundtrack releases include the 2015 Academy Award, GRAMMY and BAFTA winning soundtrack to Wes Anderson’s Golden Globe winner The Grand Budapest Hotel, 2013 Academy Award nominated Moonrise Kingdom, the 2010 Academy Award nominated Fantastic Mr. Fox, and The Darjeeling Limited, Edgar Wright’s The World’s End and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Independent Spirit Award Winner Safety Not Guaranteed, the international blockbuster Fast Five, Boardwalk Empire Volumes 2 & 3: Music from the HBO Original Series, the soundtrack to the first season of the hit Showtime series Californication and through ABKCO’s Little World Records imprint, American Girl:Isabelle Dances into the Spotlight. Releases on ABKCO’s SAR label include albums by L C Cooke, The Soul Stirrers, Johnny Taylor and the Valentinos. ABKCO is active on many fronts including the release of critically lauded compilations and reissues from its catalog, film and commercial placement of its master recordings and music publishing properties in all media. ABKCO Films most recent release is Alejandro Jodorowsky’s The Dance of Reality. The renowned cult director’s classics El Topo and The Holy Mountain, fully restored and remastered to HD, were shown at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival (Classics section) and at the prestigious 44th New York Film Festival. Other releases include the 2014 GRAMMY Award winning The Rolling Stones Charlie is my Darling – Ireland 1965. In 2003 ABKCO won a GRAMMY® for the DVD release of Sam Cooke – Legend and the following year released the DVD of The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus to universal acclaim. Upcoming releases include a restoration of the Spaghetti Western Blindman starring Ringo Starr. ABKCO Films is in pre-production on a biopic on the life of Sam Cooke.
More Stones news ...
AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME, EXCLUSIVE LIMITED EDITION CLEAR VINYL + ALBUM ART LITHOGRAPHS OF THE ROLLING STONES 12 X 5, LET IT BLEED AND 'GET YER YA-YA’S OUT!'
First Release By Spotlight Gallery, A New
Business From The Parent Company Of Time Life
Fairfax, VA (June 10, 2015) –Time Life, today announced the release of three Limited Edition Clear Vinyl + Album Art Lithographs from the iconic and acclaimed Rolling Stones albums – ABKCO Records’ 12 X 5, Let it Bleed and ‘Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out!’
Only 2,500 of these hand-numbered and embossed museum-quality lithographs signed in the plate by Rolling Stones members will be available through a special license granted by ABKCO Music & Records, Inc.
These highly valuable collectible LP and lithograph sets, each with a Certificate of Authenticity, will be available at www.spotlightgallery.com on a first-come, first-served basis. The lithographs are printed on acid-free, 100# Opus dull cover stock measuring 20” x 24” with an image area of 16” x 16.”
It should be noted that no additional copies will be produced after the initial press run is exhausted and the signature plates will be destroyed. The printing plates contain the facsimile signatures of the band’s personnel at the time each album was recorded: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Brian Jones and Bill Wyman on the 12 X 5 and Let It Bleed lithographs, and Jagger, Richards, Watts and Wyman on ‘Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out!’
Time Life will debut Spotlight Gallery and The Rolling Stones Clear Vinyl + Album Art Lithograph Collections with receptions in Los Angeles and New York. The Los Angeles event will be hosted by Chris Carter, heard weekly on Sirius XM’s Radio’s Chris Carter’s British Invasion and on KLOS. The event takes place at Mr. Musichead Gallery, 7420 W. Sunset Blvd., in the heart of Hollywood’s “Rockin Row” on Thursday, June 18 from 7 to 10 PM and will be preceded by a VIP reception at 6:30. The New York event is set for Thursday, July 9 at the ARChive of Contemporary Music, 54 White Street in Soho. Jonathan Clarke, whose Out of the Box show is heard on Q104.3 will host the event. Both the Los Angeles and New York launch receptions will provide an onsite opportunity to purchase The Rolling Stones Clear Vinyl + Album Art Lithograph Collections. Both events will feature custom cocktails curated by Pura Vida Tequila.
12 X 5, the Rolling Stones’ second full-length U.S. release, in October 1964, combines tracks from the band’s earlier U.K. EP Five by Five (recorded at Chess Studios in Chicago) with additional material, including the smash hit singles “It’s All Over Now” and “Time Is on My Side.” 12 X 5 is dominated by the Stones’ takes on R&B and the blues, which would shape and inform the hard blues/R&B wing of the British Invasion in ensuing years. This “Clearly Classic” vinyl edition is sourced from the album’s original mono mix. The album’s cover, thought to be a visual riposte to Meet the Beatles, was shot by David Bailey. One of the most celebrated fashion/celebrity photographers of all time, Bailey was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his “services to art” and was awarded the Royal Photographic Society’s Centenary Medal and Honorary Fellowship “in recognition of a sustained, significant contribution to the art of photography.”
The thoroughly cohesive and highly regarded Let It Bleed is considered by many to be the Rolling Stones’ best album. Tracks include “Midnight Rambler,” “You Got the Silver” featuring Keith Richards’ first lead vocal, the apocalyptic-themed “Gimme Shelter,” the band’s faithful take on Robert Johnson’s country blues “Love in Vain,” and the epochal “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” The Let It Bleed album cover art is by Robert Brownjohn, the American-born graphic designer known for creating the title sequences of such films as Goldfinger and From Russia with Love. The Let It Bleed cover features a Dadaist LP-shaped cake created by cookbook author Delia Smith, the design inspired by the album’s original title, “Automatic Changer.” Let It Bleed’s innovative imagery has resonated over the years since its release in late 1969. The cover art was a recent addition to the design collection of New York’s Museum of Modern Art and was the subject of a commemorative postage stamp issued by Great Britain’s Royal Mail in 2010.
‘Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out!’ The Rolling Stones in Concert holds the distinction of being the first live album by any artist to reach No. 1 on the U.K. charts. Recorded at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on November 27 and 28, 1969, the featured concert was part of the U.S. tour during which the group was introduced for the first time as “the greatest rock and roll band,” as heard at the start of the album. Ya-Ya’s is considered the Stones’ finest live album and includes concert versions of the hits “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” “Street Fighting Man” and “Sympathy for the Devil,” but is most notable for a nine-plus-minute version of “Midnight Rambler” with extended harmonica solos by Mick Jagger, widely considered the greatest recorded version of the song. Shortly after the album’s release, rock critic Lester Bangs noted in his Rolling Stone review, “It’s still too soon to tell, but I’m beginning to think Ya-Ya’s just might be the best album they ever made. I have no doubt that it’s the best rock concert ever put on record.” The album’s cover was shot by David Bailey in February 1970 and the original design is by John Kosh (art director for over 100 album covers, including The Beatles’ Abbey Road, The Who’s Who’s Next, the Eagles’ Hotel California, and Rod Stewart’s A Night on the Town) and features an atypically exultant Charlie Watts holding two guitars alongside Jack, a donkey burdened with some of his drum kit and a guitar. It has been suggested that Bob Dylan’s song “Visions of Johanna,” which includes the line “jewels and binoculars hang from the head of the mule,” was the inspiration for the Ya Ya’s cover concept.
The Rolling Stones Limited Edition Clear Vinyl + Album Art Lithographs will be available for purchase now at www.spotlightgallery.com or by calling 1-877-914-3040, where future distinguished entertainment collectibles will also be presented.
About Spotlight Gallery www.spotlightgallery.com
Spotlight Gallery features a selection of distinguished entertainment memorabilia and collectibles from renowned music icons, legendary artists, and acclaimed performers from stage and screen. Each item is a piece of history to be treasured for a lifetime by any collector, art enthusiast, or fan. Spotlight Gallery is owned and operated by Spotlight Collectors Gallery®.
About Time Life www.timelife.com
Time Life is one of the world's preeminent creators and marketers of unique music and video products and has extensive experience partnering with leading artists and performers in the entertainment industry. The company specializes in creating distinctive multi-media collections that evoke memories of yesterday, capture the spirit of today, and can be enjoyed for a lifetime.
Time Life and the Time Life logo are registered trademarks of Time Warner Inc. or an affiliated company. Used under license by Direct Holdings Americas Inc., which is not affiliated with Time Inc. (NYSE:TIME) or Time Warner Inc. (NYSE:TWX). More information is available at www.timelife.com.
All of the above courtesy of Bob Merlis, Merlis For Hire (kk)
Kent,
I just discovered your great blog, which overflows with information, enthusiasm, and passion.
I host a weekly radio show in Central Florida, on WPRK 91.5 FM. Below is a link to a two-hour interview with Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent of The Zombies (within a four-hour program devoted to the group). Recorded in-studio on their 2014 US tour, I think you'll enjoy. It was nice to read Dennis Tufano's kind raves about the group on your blog (and his is an underrated voice, isn't it?).
Best to you.
-- John Riley
Host, Magic Transistor Radio
WPRK 91.5 FM
Winter Park, FL
www.wprk.org
https://archive.org/details/ZombiesWPRKInterviewWithRodArgentAndColinBlunstone
We were fortunate enough to catch Argent and Blunstone when they opened for Burton Cummings a couple of years ago at The Arcada Theatre. (See our review below)
http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/search?q=zombies
GREAT show ... and one I felt very fortunate to see.
Thanks for the kind words about Forgotten Hits ... mention us on your program sometime!!! (kk)
re: SMILE:
From FH Reader Clark Weber ...
We who have taught, or love children who have been taught, know this is funny!
From the diary of a Pre-School Teacher:
My five-year old students are learning to read.
Yesterday one of them pointed at a picture in a zoo book and said,
"Look at this! It's a frickin' elephant!"
I took a deep breath, then asked ... "What did you call it?"
"It's a frickin' elephant! It says so on the picture!"
And so it does ...
" A f r i c a n Elephant "
Hooked on phonics! Ain't it wonderful?