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ROCKOLLECTIONS: ‘ERMAN’S ‘ERMITS PT.2 END

Like all the British bands, Herman’s Hermits were no exception when it came to doing good old American Rock & Roll.
But these bands would put their own unique stamp on them, making them sound fresh and new.
So, I will open this episode up with the Hermits interpretation of a Rays song done here in the 50’s.
The next one I call the CPR song.
After that they had a big hit over here with a tune that was written and originally done by my man Ray Davies, with the Kinks.
I’ll be telling you how they happened to get the name Herman (in this case, something misheard).
Another Yank song by them, this one originally done by the great Sam Cooke.
Peter Noone left the group in 1971, and since has appeared on numerous sitcoms and dramas- and we’ll even throw in a mid 70’s hit he had solo.
Then I will go out with a flurry of songs to make your memory bank dizzy and will shave decades off your chronological age.
And ala Ed Sullivan, I will make you wait till the end to hear my favorite Herman’s Hermits song- and the first one we ever heard here in this country back in 1964.
All in all, a nice way to spend some of that time between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Mike

Tags: 1964, American Rock & Roll, British Bands, Christmas, CPR, Denise Decker, Ed Sullivan, Engineer Ken Stanley, Herman’s Hermits, Peter Noone, Ray Davies, Sam Cooke, thanksgiving, The 50’s, the kinks, The Rays

ROCKOLLECTIONS: ‘ERMAN’S ‘ERMITS PT.1

The featured artists for this week are Herman’s Hermits, one of the early British Invasion bands that swept this country.
They were considered part of the Merseybeat Sound despite being from Manchester and not Liverpool.
These 2 parts are dedicated to a great friend of mine, Denise.
And you will hear me debating with myself just how important a group they were.
Didn’t want to tick Denise off, lol!
Ironically, the more serious songs they did were relegated to B-sides.
But there is no denying the FUN factor of their music.
The first 2 songs I will play were huge here, yet oddly not even released as singles in Britain.
While I may be a little peculiar (yeah, that’s NEW, lol!) with my selections in this Part One, by the time we get through the next episode, I guarantee I will have awakened many memory cells!
In fact, there is one here from 1965 that even I had forgotten- and listen for the Buddy Holly hiccup in it.
Although many critics dismissed them, they had players like Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones sitting in on their sessions.
So what if they weren’t the Beatles, Stones or Dylan.
Like I say, they were, and are, a FUN listen.
Enjoy!

Mike

Tags: B-Sides, Beatles, Britain, British Invasion Bands, Buddy Holly Hiccup, Denise Decker, Dylan, Engineer Ken Stanley, Herman’s Hermits, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Led Zeppelin, Liverpool, Manchester, Merseybeat Sound, Stones

ROCKOLLECTIONS: HOME FOR THANKSGIVING 2010 PT.4 FINAL

This final chapter is out here a bit early because I am traveling for Thanksgiving myself.
My favorite shows to do are the Thanksgiving and Christmas ones.
I get to make a statement, send a message- as I have said before, music is my form of a Western Union telegram.
This episode definitely feels like Thanksgiving Day to me!
I’ll start this finale off with a beautiful song by Lucy Kaplansky, with some noticeable help from Richard Shindell.
Then, saving the best for last, and calling in some heavy hitters on this topic, at least to me, two of the finest songs ever about Going Home.
And they just happen to share the same title.
After that, is there a Beatle song about Going Home? Sure is!
Finally, another one of those two different endings I do when I have two songs so exquisitely perfect for the task, I can’t make up my mind.
The first one concerns Home being so fine, so desirable, you would run there.
The second…well of all the modes of transportation we have taken over the years, this is without a doubt the nicest way to go Home I can think of.
And even that wasn’t enough, as I slipped in something else to hopefully surprise and delight you on my way out the door, regarding what we have learned these past two weeks through music.
While the Holiday and the Tradition may have started in this country, everybody has something to be thankful for, not the least of which is being alive and around to BE thankful!
I am most certainly grateful for those of you who listen and stick with me, with all my quirky choices of songs and theme shows.
I THANK YOU!
And Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Mike

Tags: Beatles, Christmas, Engineer Ken Stanley, Happy Thanksgiving, Lucy Kaplansky, Richard Shindell, Thanksgiving Day, Western Union

ROCKOLLECTIONS: HOME FOR THANKSGIVING 2010 PT.3

 

Oh baby, Thanksgiving is getting real close now!
We have been listening to songs about going Home, Home For Thanksgiving.
But what if the Home is YOURS?
So I’ll start off with songs for people who have guests coming to their Home.
Got a true story in here too, a dumb drunken story regarding inviting semi-strangers to my house from a Manhattan bar that does actually make for a fun memory.
Damn, I didn’t think they would really come, and  I couldn’t even introduce most of the guests to my girl Angel because I couldn’t remember their names, lol!
After that, a look at where Home always is.
I’ll close this episode out with the great old group, Buffalo Springfield.
I don’t like to toot my own horn, but I particularly think you will enjoy the inspired opening songs- I got lucky and made some GREAT selections, lol!
To me, this has an authentic feeling of early Thanksgiving Day to it.
As will the next chapter, I am even getting hungry thinking about it.

Mike

Tags: Angel, buffalo springfield, Engineer Ken Stanley, Manhattan Bar, Thanksgiving Day

ROCKOLLECTIONS: HOME FOR THANKSGIVING 2010 PT.2

As we continue with our Home For Thanksgiving series, the Free-Form Radio nature of this show led me to take the last song played in the previous half hour and expand on it a bit.
So we will take some rural back roads Home- with none of the selections sung by authentic country folk, lol!
Then another song written by, and I’ve said it before, that most underrated and underappreciated American songwriter in all of Rock & Roll, John Sebastian.
An absolute beauty from him and the Lovin’ Spoonful!
I will take us out this time with songs about those who can’t go home- the homeless, the drunks, the druggies, all those who have no Home to go to.
A bit somber, but I won’t shy away from a part of real life.
As I recall, Engineer Ken Stanley was very deeply affected by the first tune.
I mean surprisingly so- he couldn’t look at me.
And in the final song, you will hear the story of a man’s life in precisely 3 minutes!
Even after many years, and I first heard it in the 60’s when Scott Muni played it on WNEW-FM, that one still gets to me.
When the going Home continues next week, I promise I will counter this with a very Happy beginning.
Please do come back and join me to find out just what I mean.
But until then, I hope you enjoy what is played here.
You can always let me know.
 
Mike

Tags: American Songwriter, Back Roads, Engineer Ken Stanley, Free-form Radio, John Sebastian, Rock & Roll, Scott Muni, The 60's, WNEW-FM