Monday, October 30, 2017

1967 BONUS #47

We saw a GREAT Ed Sullivan clip the other night on The Decades Channel ... had to be from late 1966 ... The Supremes (yes, they were still just The Supremes back then!) appeared in these BEAUTIFUL pink gowns, pink earrings and pink lipstick and sang a medley of their hits that kicked off with "You Can't Hurry Love," which had to be their latest.  After their spot, Ed came over and asked each of them what their favorite of their own recordings was ... a real nice piece.  
But the REALLY cool part was that Gary Lewis and the Playboys were up next.  They, too, sang a brief hits medley (obviously lip-synched) behind a giant banner that said "Bye Bye Gary." 
Sullivan announced that Gary was soon going off to the Army, which was the story that kicked off our 1967 Calendar Series back on January 1st.  He then brought out a young lady to give Gary a farewell kiss, ala "Bye Bye Birdie," a film in which Ed Sullivan also starred!  (Who can forget the great Paul Lynde song "Hymn For A Sunday Evening," the motion picture's tribute to Ed Sullivan!!!)  Gary then sang a verse of "One Last Kiss" from the film before planting one on the cutie (who's now probably every bit of 70 years old!)  Again, another REALLY cool clip.  (Interestingly enough, Sullivan also showed a photo of Gary's father Jerry performing with his then-partner Dean Martin on Ed Sullivan's very first Toast Of The Town show from 1948.  (I've often asked Andrew Solt, who owns the rights to ALL of the Ed Sullivan broadcasts, about resurrecting this clip for either a television special or commemorative DVD release but he told me that the clip is forever lost to the ages ... it was never saved or preserved.  Makes sense ... who would have ever thought that Ed's first show from 1948 would have led to a television series that lasted on the air for 23 more years?!?!?)  kk



Regarding your October 19th Grapeveine Post, I preferred Marvin Gaye's version as well. Just about anything he did. Did ever see the California Raisins? My kids loved that animated version of the Motown hits.

Keep up the good work. Ted Gstalder
The California Raisins actually featured Buddy Miles on lead vocals so they had some pretty significant soul chops of their own!  (Their version of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" went to #84 in 1988.)  Miles wrote and recorded the Classic Rock Hit "Them Changes" and performed with both Carlos Santana and Jimi Hendrix at various times in his career.  Sadly he passed away in 2008.  (kk)

Kent ...
Tom Seaver had to flee his beloved Napa home and winery due to the fires raging in California.
Tom was the National League's Rookie Of The Year in ... 1967.
Frank B.

Hi Kent;
Just had to get a note out to you about my pal Ray Graffia.
50 years ago this week I was lugging Fender amps for Ray and the Colony. I was making a whopping 50 bucks a week, but I loved being a bit player on the Chicago rock scene.
Ronnie Rice was great. Pat McBride was in his own subterranean world (Pat always seemed at his happiest when he was depressed), but Ray was like an older brother to me. He exuded joy and happiness. Ray was also incredibly grounded. 
I saw him at the Blackhawks summer convention about two months ago and he was like a kid under a  Christmas tree. I feel blessed to call him a friend. As the late Jack Brickhouse told me years ago, "Kid, you can always tell class ... you can just sense it."
That is Ray Graffia...
Chet Coppock

Ray responds ...

Wow, Kent!  I am floored by the love from C.C.!  He was and is a great friend and not a bad roadie "in the day" either; so very much touched by knowing he did indeed enjoy working with us as much as we loved having him on the team.  And look how unbelievably far he has out-distanced us in the long run.
Chet is really one of the good guys and deserves all the kudos he's earned, even if I may sometimes not be 100% in line with some of his comments at Forgotten Hits.  Maybe he (and you, Frannie & Paige?) can add to the stories to accompany our gig at Pheasant Run, eh?  You know about that one, right?  If not, here's a link: http://www.arcadalive.com/event/new-colony-6/.  Y'all sharing your own remembrances would surely give me time to rest the vocal chords that night. 
Please let Chester know how his thoughts lifted me up in a week where I lost a dear friend to an extremely rare disease (1 in 1,000,000 get it - passed away at age 62) and I continue to pray for another who is struggling, but should be all right, albeit may take a while yet. 
Be blessed as you, the FH folks who are kind to us and especially Chet were, are and always have been over all these years. 
Love ya, kk, CC and FH'ers ...     
Ray     
P.S.  Hoping that I can clarify what I meant by my "top of the charts" comment for "I Confess" down in Bloomington with Cornerstones earlier this year. 
While we were stopped at #2 here in Chicago (attached), here is one chart (also attached) from New York state (upstate I think) where we did reach the absolute top of the mountain, and for at least two weeks in a row! 
Your note today and Mr. Coppock's kind words led me to finally dig out this chart, as it has been something I intended to share as soon as you posted your review of the show.  There may or may not have been others as well, but this one came to me many, many moons ago - two consecutive weeks at #1 for WENE ...
100 watts or 50,000 watts, I do not know but ... we still reached the pinnacle!
Ray



Kent,
Glad to see the posting of Vikki Carr's IT MUST BE HIM because I always liked that record.
Kent, as you may or may not know, Vikki Carr's real name is Florencia Bisenta de Casillas-Martinez Cardona. However, do you know why she recorded under the name of Vikki Carr?
The reason was they couldn't get her real name on the record label.(LOL).
Have a great week.
Larry

>>>British songstress Petula Clark is the host of The Hollywood Palace tonight and performs "Imagine"  (kk) 
This being 1967, this was obviously not the John Lennon song. This "Imagine" was a song written by Francis Lai and Sammy Cahn for the movie "The Bobo," and was a track from Petula's These Are My Songs LP, and was later released as a Warner Bros. promo single in early 1968 (http://www.45cat.com/record/pro261).  
– Randy Price
This is correct.  Petula Clark is coming to The Arcada Theatre on December 17th and we can't wait to see her!  (kk)

Kent ...
Add this to 1967 collection.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QJyyznbqUg 
Jose Feliciano's version of Light My Fire ...
Recorded 10/19/1967.
How do I know?
I got it From Ron Smith's book.
Frank B.
Or, you could have simply checked The Forgotten Hits 1967 Calendar Page on that date ... where we ALSO featured this musical milestone ... along with a copy of the song!  (kk)
 
Kent ...
10/17/1942 =  Happy Birthday, Gary Puckett.  
In this 1984 interview, they say that this song was recorded in 1967.
Yep ... it's coming up ... keep watching the weekly Super Charts.  (And I'll tell you what ... we've seen Gary Puckett live in concert at least half a dozen times now ... and he sings this song better TODAY then he did on this vintage clip!)  kk

Here are The British Top 30 Pop Charts for October, 1967, courtesy of Rockin' Lord Geoff Lambert ...

According to Record Retailer the top thirty singles on the UK charts for week ending October 7th 1967 were:
WK LW TW
07 - 01 - 01 - Engelbert Humperdinck - The Last Waltz
06 - 05 - 02 - Traffic - Hole in my Shoe
04 - 03 - 03 - Move - Flowers in the Rain
05 - 04 - 04 - Diana Ross and the Supremes - Reflections
04 - 13 - 05 - Bee Gees - Massachussetts
08 - 02 - 06 - Keith West - Excerpt From 'A Teenage Opera'
07 - 09 - 07 - Frankie Vaughan - There Must Be A Way
08 - 06 - 08 - Small Faces - Itchycoo Park
06 - 07 - 09 - Flowerpot Men - Let's Go To San Francisco
03 - 12 - 10 - Box Tops - The Letter
08 - 11 - 11 - Cliff Richard - The Day I Met Marie
11 - 08 - 12 - Tom Jones - I'll Never Fall In Love Again
05 - 16 - 13 - Dubliners - Black Velvet Band
03 - 19 - 14 - Bobbie Gentry - Ode to Billy Joe
13 - 10 - 15 - Scott Mckenzie - San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair)
02 - 17 - 16 - Seekers - When Will the Good Apples Fall
13 - 14 - 17 - Anita Harris - Just Loving You
02 - 23 - 18 - Herd - From the Underworld
01 - NE - 18 - Procol Harum - Homburg
03 - 20 - 20 - Frankie Mcbride - Five Little Fingers
02 - 29 - 21 - Hollies - King Midas in Reverse
01 - RE - 22 - Temptations - You're My Everything
04 - 21 - 23 - Eric Burdon and the Animals - Good Times
01 - NE - 24 - Vince Hill - Love Letters in the Sand
01 - NE - 25 - Foundations - Baby Now That I've Found You
01 - NE - 26 - Sandie Shaw - You've not changed
07 - 22 - 27 - Beach Boys - Heroes and Villains
07 - 25 - 28 - Jimi Hendrix Experience - The Burning of the Midnight Lamp
10 - 15 - 29 - Tremeloes - Even the Bad Times are Good
02 - 26 - 29 - Mindbenders - The Letter
02 - 30 - 29 - Georgie Fame - Try My World 
According to Record Retailer the top thirty singles on the UK charts for week ending October 14th 1967 were:
WK LW TW
08 - 01 - 01 - Engelbert Humperdinck - The Last Waltz
05 - 05 - 02 - Bee Gees - Massachusetts
07 - 02 - 03 - Traffic - Hole in My Shoe
05 - 03 - 04 - Move - Flowers in the Rain
06 - 04 - 05 - Diana Ross and the Supremes - Reflections
08 - 07 - 06 - Frankie Vaughan - There Must Be A Way
04 - 10 - 07 - Box Tops - The Letter
09 - 06 - 08 - Keith West - Excerpt From 'A Teenage Opera'
09 - 08 - 09 - Small Faces - Itchycoo Park
03 - 18 - 10 - Herd - From the Underworld
02 - 18 - 11 - Procol Harum - Homburg
03 - 16 - 12 - Seekers - When Will the Good Apples Fall
06 - 13 - 13 - Dubliners - Black Velvet Band
07 - 09 - 14 - Flowerpot Men - Let's Go To San Francisco
09 - 11 - 15 - Cliff Richard - The Day I Met Marie
04 - 14 - 16 - Bobbie Gentry - Ode to Billy Joe
12 - 12 - 17 - Tom Jones - I'll Never Fall In Love Again
03 - 21 - 18 - Hollies - King Midas in Reverse
01 - NE - 19 - Anita Harris - The Playground
02 - 25 - 20 - Foundations - Baby Now That I've Found You
02 - 26 - 21 - Sandie Shaw - You've Not Changed
02 - 24 - 22 - Vince Hill - Love Letters in the Sand
14 - 17 - 23 - Anita Harris - Just Loving You
01 - NE - 23 - Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich - Zabadak!
02 - 22 - 25 - Temptations - You're My Everything
14 - 15 - 26 - Scott Mckenzie - San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair)
04 - 20 - 27 - Frankie Mcbride - Five Little Fingers
05 - 23 - 28 - Eric Burdon and the Animals - Good Times
01 - NE - 29 - Four Tops - You Keep Running Away
11 - 29 - 30 - Tremeloes - Even the Bad Times Are Good 
According to Record Retailer the top thirty singles on the UK charts for week ending October 21st 1967 were:
WK LW TW
06 - 02 - 01 - Bee Gees - Massachussetts
09 - 01 - 02 - Engelbert Humperdinck - The Last Waltz
08 - 03 - 03 - Traffic - Hole in my shoe
06 - 04 - 04 - Move - Flowers in the Rain
09 - 06 - 05 - Frankie Vaughan - There must be a way
05 - 07 - 06 - Box Tops - The Letter
03 - 11 - 07 - Procol Harum - Homburg
07 - 05 - 08 - Diana Ross and the Supremes - Reflections
04 - 10 - 09 - Herd - From the Underworld
03 - 20 - 10 - Foundations - Baby Now That I've Found You
10 - 08 - 11 - Keith West - Excerpt From 'A Teenage Opera'
02 - 23 - 12 - Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich - Zabadak!
04 - 12 - 13 - Seekers - When Will the Good Apples Fall
05 - 16 - 14 - Bobbie Gentry - Ode to Billy Joe
07 - 13 - 15 - Dubliners - Black Velvet Band
10 - 09 - 16 - Small Faces - Itchycoo Park
10 - 15 - 17 - Cliff Richard - The Day I Met Marie
04 - 18 - 18 - Hollies - King Midas in Reverse
08 - 14 - 19 - Flowerpot Men - Let's Go To San Francisco
02 - 29 - 20 - Four Tops - You Keep Running Away
01 - NE - 21 - Kinks - Autumn Almanac
02 - 19 - 22 - Anita Harris - The Playground
15 - 23 - 23 - Anita Harris - Just Loving You
03 - 25 - 24 - Temptations - You're My Everything
13 - 17 - 25 - Tom Jones - I'll Never Fall In Love Again
01 - NE - 26 - Shirley Bassey - Big Spender
03 - 21 - 27 - Sandie Shaw - You've not changed
05 - 27 - 28 - Frankie Mcbride - Five Little Fingers
01 - NE - 29 - Who - I Can See For Miles
01 - NE - 30 - Troggs - Love Is All Around 
According to Record Retailer the top thirty singles on the UK charts for week ending October 28th 1967 were:
WK LW TW
07 - 01 - 01 - Bee Gees - Massachussetts
10 - 02 - 02 - Engelbert Humperdinck - The Last Waltz
09 - 03 - 03 - Traffic - Hole In My Shoe
04 - 10 - 04 - Foundations - Baby Now That I've Found You
04 - 07 - 05 - Procol Harum - Homburg
10 - 05 - 06 - Frankie Vaughan - There Must Be A Way
03 - 12 - 07 - Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich - Zabadak!
06 - 06 - 08 - Box Tops - The Letter
07 - 04 - 09 - Move - Flowers in the Rain
05 - 09 - 10 - Herd - From the Underworld
08 - 08 - 11 - Diana Ross - Reflections
05 - 13 - 12 - Seekers - When Will the Good Apples Fall
06 - 14 - 13 - Bobbie Gentry - Ode to Billy Joe
02 - 30 - 14 - Troggs - Love Is All Around
11 - 11 - 14 - Keith West - Excerpt From 'A Teenage Opera'
02 - 29 - 16 - Who - I Can See For Miles
02 - 21 - 17 - Kinks - Autumn Almanac
08 - 15 - 18 - Dubliners - Black Velvet Band
01 - NE - 19 - Donovan - There Is a Mountain
01 - NE - 20 - Eric Burdon - San Franciscan Nights
05 - 18 - 20 - Hollies - King Midas in Reverse
04 - 27 - 22 - Sandie Shaw - You've Not Changed
03 - 20 - 23 - Four Tops - You Keep Running Away
16 - 23 - 24 - Anita Harris - Just Loving You
11 - 17 - 25 - Cliff Richard - The Day I Met Marie
01 - NE - 26 - Val Doonican - If the Whole World Stopped Loving
01 - NE - 27 - Stevie Wonder - I'm wondering
04 - 24 - 28 - Temptations - You're My Everything
11 - 16 - 29 - Small Faces - Itchycoo Park
02 - 26 - 30 - Shirley Bassey - Big Spender
And, in other British Chart news, circa 1967 ...
"Let The Heartaches Begin" was one of two songs that Tony Macauley pitched to The Foundations. They chose to record "Baby, Now That I've Found You" and it topped the UK charts on November 8, 1967. Lightning struck twice for Macauley as he became the first UK songwriter / producer to have back to back number ones.  Long John Baldry released the tearjerker ballad "Let The Heartaches Begin" on October 28 and the song replaced the Foundations at number one on November 22.
The six foot seven Baldry was one of the most renowned blues singers in England. Both Rod Stewart and Elton John were his proteges. He discovered Stewart busking at a railway station. He found Reginald Dwight playing piano at The Cromwellian (a London private gambling club). Both future pop superstars would apprentice while backing Baldry in his band's Steampacket (Stewart) and Bluesology (Dwight). Dwight would soon take the stage name Elton John as a tribute to Bluesology's Elton Dean and John Baldry. He would reference Baldry as Sugar Bear in his 1975
hit "Someone Saved My Life Tonight". It seems that in 1969 Baldry convinced a distraught Elton John not to go through with his impending marriage to a woman he didn't really love.
In America Baldry's single (Billboard #88) couldn't duplicate the chart success of The Foundation's hit (Billboard #11) and disappeared after only two weeks. "Let The Heartaches Begin" had an arrangement reminiscent of The Drifters.
It was the very first song I recall hearing on the radio when I arrived in London in 1968.
Mike G


Interesting ... and not at all the style one might expect from Long John Baldry.  Thanks for sharing.  (I just noticed that this song also charted here in Chicago on WLS where it reached #27 ... but I don't remember it at all.)  kk

My brother sent me a copy of a Houston Top 40 list from early September of 1967 this morning.


The # 1 hit was from a Texas band, which was actually covering a song from another Texas band. If you don't know either version, they're worth hearing.

Here's is the version by the Clique, which was a cover of the 13th Floor Elevators. 

Brad


Why did you write  “The so-called 'March On The Pentagon' — I was there and it was very real ... the “so-called” seems, in a way dismissive to me.  History tells us that it had a tremendous impact.  Happy to say I wasn’t one of the 600+ who were arrested, but I was tear gassed ... nothing "so-called" about that. 
Best, 
Bob Merlis 
Nothing dismissive intended ... I simply meant that this is how it became to be known.  (I don't  know that they called it that at the time ... I think this was more a case of "we need to call it something" ... "we need to refer to it in some way" ... so that's what it became known as. It certainly wasn't my intention to diminish the importance or the motives in any way. 
On a personal note I would have never picked you as such a rebel! (Lol) 
It was a different time - and a different mind set - 
I always say "we wanted to change the world" - and in many ways we did - just not always in  the way we may have originally intended to.  (kk)
No biggie ... but I just had to let you know how I felt and that I was proudly part of it. 
As an undergraduate at NY’s Columbia University in 1968, I was among the many who occupied the campus in protest to military recruiting there which sparked student uprisings thereafter including Harvard, Berkeley and Kent State.  It was a time like no other and I got to introduce the Grateful Dead when we brought them onto the Columbia campus to perform a free concert for the student strikers.
Here’s me at the mic back then  — that’s Bob Weir on guitar right behind me and, I think, Bill Kreutzman tuning up his drums (could have been Mickey Hart since they had two drummers) and you see Jerry Garcia’s striped shirt and guitar strap at the lower left. 
Bob


You might remember Jeff Lind from the Illinois Entertainer late 70's articles he wrote on Chicago 60's music.  Over 10 years earlier, he was loving this music as a kid just like me.  He left Chicago for Rockford College station WRCR where he started writing columns in the Roselle, Illinois paper at times.  Below is one of his first commentaries from the April 28, 1967 issue, in which he sounds just as excited as I was in that era.
One of his record comments is of the Easybeats' "Friday On My Mind," of which co-writer George Young just passed away a few days ago.  Along with writing partner Harry Vanda, they wrote and performed some great music with the Easybeats over the late 60's and early 70's. 

Here's Jeff's article and it will make you want to go back to 1967 again.  OH YEAH, that's exactly what FH is doing! 

Clark Besch
 


There are some other pretty good "pick hits" on this list, too! What a GREAT time for music.  (kk)
  
Hi Kent, 
The 1967 series has been a joy to follow this year. Thanks again!
Eddie Burke,
Ashley, PA 
Thanks, Eddie ... I still can't believe it's almost over ... only two more months to go ... but it's been one heck of a ride! 
I am looking into other ways of permanently posting this series ... as well as recapping all that went out by email over the past year ... so that others can enjoy it, too.  Stay tuned for more details in the weeks to come! (kk)

Friday, October 13, 2017

1967 BONUS #46


Hi Kent,  
Thank you so much for posting the photo of the handsome Ray Graffia Jr. and his lovely wife Bonnie.  Happy 50 years together!  
What a thrill for Ray to write "I Love You So Much" for his wife!  
Long Live My Favorite Chicago Group:  The New Colony Six!!!  
Carolyn


Hi Kent: 
The passing of Shindig producer Jack Good caught my attention in your Wednesday newsletter. Good was born in the suburb of Greenford in West London. That happens to be where I lived while I was serving with the US Navy in the late Sixties. The area's other claim to rock and roll history occurred in April of 1964 at the Oldfield Hotel and Tavern in Greenford. 
The Who had been paying their dues while regularly performing there as an R&B cover band in 1963 and 1964. That was where they first encountered Keith Moon. Seventeen year old Moon brazenly approached the group while boasting that he was a better drummer than the one they had. Despite being half drunk and nearly demolishing the drum kit, he was invited to join the band. I've also learned that they regularly played at Douglas House. That was where the US Armed Forces enlisted men's club was located in the Lancaster Gate area near Hyde Park. 
The first time I heard of The Who was when "My Generation" was being played on either WLS or WKYC (Cleveland) back in late 1965 / early 1966.  
Mike G  
Yes, they took a little while to catch on here in The States, originally touring here as the opening act for Herman's Hermits!  (Imagine THAT combination live in concert!!!)  Their popularity grew, however, as they got more experimental with things like their "Tommy" Rock Opera ... which then made folks go back and discover some of the great, flat out rock and roll material they had done earlier.  Some of those earlier cuts like "I Can't Explain," "My Generation," "The Kids Are Alright" and "Substitute" barely made a dent on the charts here ... but little by little ("Happy Jack," #24, 1967; "I Can See For Miles," #9, 1967; and "Magic Bus," #25, 1968) paved the way for monster Top Twenty Hits like "Pinball Wizard" (#19, 1969); "See Me, Feel Me" (#12, 1970); "Won't Get Fooled Again" (#15, 1971) and many more.  (kk)  

"You see, brother, Hugh did things without any agenda whatsoever. Our country should understand that.”
-- Dick Gregory to Harvey Kubernik, 2014 
Read All About It  (from 1967 A Complete Rock Music History of the Summer of Love).  
Playboy magazine’s reporting on the contemporary music scene of 1967 helped broadcast the counterculture revolution to a wide audience. Their Jazz & Pop Poll ballot of October, 1967, reflected the impact of current audio culture.
In the Male Vocalist category, Marty Balin, Jimi Hendrix, Otis Redding, John Mayall, Scott McKenzie, and Johnny Rivers were now listed with Frank Sinatra, Gene Pitney, Sammy Davis, Jr., Al Martino, and Mose Allison. The Female Vocalist listing now found Janis Joplin, Cass Elliot, and Grace Slick right alongside Dionne Warwick, Julie London, Anita O’Day, Jackie DeShannon, and Eartha Kitt. 
Besides showcasing and advertising state-of-the art ’67 home audio equipment, Playboy gave ink to well-established and emerging FM-radio-playlist recording artists. Summer of Love turntable favorites Charles Lloyd and Ravi Shankar were both profiled in a fall ’67 issue. Moby Grape, Brenton Wood, and Chris Darrow of the Kaleidoscope, now shared the glossy pages with Bill Evans, Oliver Nelson, Andre Previn, and Chico Hamilton — further proof that Playboy’s reputation as “only a skin magazine” was now completely over. A psychedelic-themed front cover graced its ’67 Gala Christmas issue.
-- Harvey Kubernik


And, speaking of Harvey Kubernik, you can catch his recent appearance on Tom Barnard's Radio Program via the link below ...

On October 11th, Harvey Kubernik was a 30 minute interview guest discussing his 1967 A Complete Rock Music History of the Summer of Love book on the Tom Barnard's Show radio program, the KQ92 Morning Show from Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Barnard is a 2017 National Radio Hall of Fame inductee.    Here ya go ... this is the link to the interview:  http://bit.ly/2y9LChM
http://www.tombarnardpodcast.com/harvey-kubernik-1242-3/



>>> I recognize a few of these titles ... The Hardly Worth-It Players (who had the hit with their novelty version of "Wild Thing" earlier this year) are still hanging on with something called "The Congressional Record" ... would love to hear that one! (Although another title grabbed my curiosity first ... anybody got a copy of "Two Bananas In Love"???  (lol) kk


I had not heard this before, but here is a link to "The Congressional Record"  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkOrERVgKCw  
Doug  

From Gary Theroux ... 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehhGGaeOAYU 

Kent,
You mentioned on the posting of the records from MS Distributors if anyone had a a copy of the song TWO BANANAS IN LOVE. I don't have a copy but years ago I did have the opportunity to buy a copy. I didn't, however, because the record didn't apPEEL to me.  THE CONGRESSIONAL RECORD by the Hardly Worth It Players is to the tune of OLD MACDONALD. I found it on you tube and quit playing it after about 30 seconds. You probably have already done that by the time you get this email
Larry  
OK, these are awful!!!  The scary part is that some highly paid record executive thought these recordings were potential hits!  Even in the "Anything Goes '60's" this crap couldn't make it.  Makes you wonder what a complete list of EVERY released single would look like from 1964 - 1970!  A Hardly Worth-It Players rip off of their own Bobby Kennedy parody / novelty hit, followed by a "Winchester Cathedral" rip-off.  I'm not sure even Dave The Rave would play these tracks on his "Relics And Rarities" program!!! (kk)  

Hi Kent: 
Here are a couple more Milwaukee Surveys you can use the next few weeks. 
Ken Freck

I love some of the local slant ... The Robbs and The Messengers, of course, had a big impact here in The Midwest (if limited success elsewhere), but it's cool to see acts like Shag (love it!) and The Last Word making chart appearances, too.  Chicago's Buckinghams, Spanky and Our Gang and American Breed are also represented.

I can't believe the year is almost over.  I worked so long and so hard on putting the 1967 Calendar Series together and we're now down to less than 90 days before the series wraps up.  Kinda sad as I hate to see it go.  (Then again I HAVE considered permanently posting it on the other website as a source of future reference ... only time will tell if I ever have enough free time to do so!)  kk 

And here's one from Oklahoma ...  

Kent,
Thought you might like to know what was happening here in OKC 50 years ago. I would imagine there are a record or two or three that you've never heard of.
Larry Neal
Yep, I'm thinking quite a few of these may raise an eyebrow or two.  Always cool to see what was happening in other cities and then comparing those charts when the ones we grew up with here in Chicago.  Thanks, Larry!  (kk)

Great coverage of the 1967 World Series.  Well done.
Ed
It was a very exciting series, wrapping up a very exciting season if you were an American League fan like I was.  I love all the vintage Topps baseball cards ... I probably HAD most of these!!!  
It's amazing to me that 50 years ago yesterday the 1967 World Series was over ... and now, 50 years later, we've still got a whole 'nother stretch of playoff series before the World Series even gets underway.  Heck, 50 years ago they talked about shortening the baseball season because it went on too long and meant playing games in the cold of October ... now October's already half over and the big showdown hasn't even begun.  (I swear at some point games will be postponed because of snow!)  I feel for the health and safety of the players ... the weather for some of these late night games (last night's contest between The Cubs and The Nationals went on past midnight, local time) is just brutal!   (kk) 

I missed out on the 67 series because of age, but 68 was a different story, 7 years old and my team won the world series. 
Somehow after losing two to Gibson and coming back from a 3 games to 1 deficit, Mickey Lolich managed to beat Gibson in game 7. 
The whole city of Detroit was buzzing all Summer long. This song was a big local hit that year locally.
Frank Sennish
Ah yes ... and Denny McLain making all his television appearances playing the organ ... those were the days! (lol)  The Tigers where phenomenal in 1968 with many of their players having career years.  Say what you will about Denny McLain ... nobody's won 30 games in a season since!  He was unstoppable.  (kk)
31 - 6 ... and in jail at least a few times since ... but you're right, he had an incredible year.
Frank

October 10th was the fifty year anniversary of the ten year anniversary of the Milwaukee Braves winning the World Series in 1957 over the Yankees. How’s that for a stretch? Here’s a trivia question: 
After the Milwaukee Braves moved to Milwaukee from Boston, They led the league in attendance every year up until 1957 when they won the World Series. During that time period they drew over two million fans per year. After 1957 they did not achieve this attendance status again.  What happened between 1957 and 1958 to create this situation?...... 
Answer: The Braves management would no longer allow the fans to bring their own beer into the ballpark anymore.  
Only in Wisconsin.  

December, 2017, will mark the 50th anniversary of the retail release of Leonard Cohen's debut LP "Songs of Leonard Cohen." Might be something for your viewers to know about. Leonard was signed to Columbia records by the legendary A&R man / record producer John Hammond, who inked Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Aretha Franklin and Bob Dylan to the label.  
The Leonard Cohen-endorsed website, he actively collaborated with the portal,
www.leonardcohenfiles.com, is now displaying my 14,000 word multi-voice narrative memoir piece on Leonard. There are a lot of rock 'n' roll voices in the print journey: Charlie Daniels, Chris Darrow from the Kaleidoscope, Andrew Loog Oldham, Clive Davis, Al Kooper, Bob Johnston, Peter Lewis of Moby Grape, and Jim Keltner added to my multiple interviews I conducted with Leonard.  
My 2015 book on Leonard Cohen is now out in paperback edition in the UK from Omnibus Press.
Cohen's debut disc was issued the last week of December, 1967, an advance acetate test pressing were circulated in the previous November, and, alongside Bob Dylan's "John Wesley Harding," so both highly influential endeavors are in your pivotal ongoing salute to year 1967. Although their impact really became monumental during 1968 and continue to this day. 
Harvey Kubernik