Month: January 2014
1968: WKNR PRESENTS ‘THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE’!
IN ANN ARBOR: JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE IS EXCITING EXPERIENCE . . . SEPTEMBER 16, 1967
A MCRFB news brief: 1967
Hendrix Wows Crowd In Ann Arbor
DETROIT — Playing at the Fifth Dimension in Ann Arbor recently, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, a Reprise Records group, proved themselves to be a tremendously exciting act both in the recording studio and, possibly more so while on stage.
Onstage, Hendrix with hair a la Dylan puts on a show with his brilliant guitar work and electric stage presence. While performing, his swings his guitar in back of him and plays it resting on his back. He also zings the strings with his teeth and falls to the floor seemingly playing each chord seductively while on his knees and on his back.
In Ann Arbor, when his amplifier blew, he flung the amp to the floor at the end of his last set and jumped up and down on top of it. Paradoxically, he never blows his cool. While he’s frantic, he’s casual. As he’s hurling the instrument around, a gleam of humor comes through. He’s hip without being a hippie — that is, he’s without the pretentiousness and pomposity which afflicts too many hippies. Amazingly they did “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” with just three pieces in a way that would have made the Beatles glad.
While all this wild movement is taking place, the music Hendrix produces, along with guitarist band members Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Michell become beautifully entrancing in its invention and execution. Most of the numbers performed were Hendrix originals like “Hey Joe,“ “The Wind Cries Mary” and “Foxey Lady.”
Hendrix voice has that tough soulful quality that reflects his roots in the blues. The group is tight and musically disciplined while their music is freed from traditional constraints.
Hendrix is scheduled to return to play the Grande Ballroom in Detroit sometime in February 1968. END.
(Information and news source: Billboard; September 16, 1967)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRcQs7Qbgic
MOTOR CITY RADIO FLASHBACKS IS ON FACEBOOK!
IN DETROIT: THE CHAMBERS BROTHERS CAPTIVATE SHOWS . . . SEPTEMBER 16, 1967
A MCRFB NEWS brief: 1967
The Grande Ballroom Site Center Stage
DETROIT — Presented by “Uncle Russ,” the Chambers Brothers played to good-sized crowds at the Grande Ballroom here on Friday and Saturday, September 1 and 2.
Throughout their two shows on Saturday night the brothers, who record for Columbia, completely captivated the audience with their powerful harmonizing and fine musicianship.
The four brothers, with drummer Brian Keenan, play and sing with a fervor that comes from their gospel music background. Their sound combines rhythm and blues and psychedelic in a unique style that comes with tremendous impact on record and more so performing live on stage.
Whether the Chambers Brothers played “People Get Ready,” “Mustang Sally,” or their own composition like “Time Has Come Today,” the excitement they create has few equals in the present pop/rock music scene. END
___
(Information and news source: Billboard; September 16, 1967)
The Chambers Brothers: The band’s rendition of “People Get Ready.” And what it might have sounded like when they sang it live on stage at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, September 1 and 2, 1967.
WRIF PROMO AD: ‘THE HEROES OF ALBUM ROCK’ 1979
DICK CLARK SEE ROAD SUCCESS WITH TOUR ACTS . . . DECEMBER 14, 1963
From the MCRFB news files: 1963
DETROIT’S MOTOWN ACTS ROLLING
NEW YORK — Big touring pop record acts appear to be in for a sustained period of success, according to all current indications. At the time of peak interest in rock and roll in the late 1950s, such packages as Irvin Feld’s ‘Biggest Show Of Stars were terrific grossers.
Later, as the character of the pop scene begin to undergo several refinements, the pop tour seemed to suffer. The grosses dwindled as too many tried their hand in booking the shows, thus overcrowding the field, with poor promotion behind most of them. The payola inquiry at various governmental levels also played its role in de-popularizing the rock and roll package at the time.
Now, however, three big touring troupes have just been completed or are about to complete lengthy sessions on the road in all cases. Bigger plans are in the making for next year, and in at least one case, the troupe will undertake a similar type of tour in the European Continent.
Captain Clark
Deejay Dick Clark has been at the helm of two highly successful tours this fall under the banner “Caravan Of Stars,” a joint project of Clark and the William Morris Office of Music department, which is headed up by Rosalind Ross.
The current 31-day Clark tour embarked early in November and concluded Sunday night, December 8 in Norfolk, Virginia. The Clark package grossed over $35,000 in its first three dates on the most recent swing and featured Bobby Vee, Brian Hyland, Jimmy Clanton, Linda Scott, The Essex, The Jaynettes, The Ronettes, Little Eva, The Dixie Belles, Dale and Grace, Joe Perkins, Donald Jenkins and the Delighters, The Dovells, Paul and Paula, The Tymes and Jeff Condon.
Clark took a similar entourage out last July and in 19 dates the package grossed nearly $500,000. Plans have already been set in motion for a third Clark package tour to hit the road for a month starting next March 28 for the Easter season.
Feld himself remains a kingpin in the rock tour picture, just as he was some years back, having closed one of his most successful big-money tours of all. His “Biggest Show Of Stars,” fall edition, has just closed a 28-day run playing big auditoriums in numerous major markets, featuring James Brown and the Famous Flames, as the leading headliner. The all-Negro package, which included such acts as Marvin Gaye, Martha and the Vandellas, Doris Troy and the Drifters, among others, played major showcases like the Muninciple Auditorium, Norfolk; The Mosque Theater, Richmond; Kiel Opera House, St. Louis, and the Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston. The show “did very well,” according to Feld.
At the New Civic Center, a 13,000-seater in Baltimore, the show sold out at a ticket scale of $1.75 to $3.75, with, in Feld’s words, “several thousands were turned away.” Feld has already blueprinted a spring edition to hit the road for the Easter season next April and may for 45 days. Again headlining the indomitable James Brown and the Famous Flames. Brown’s “James Brown Show” album on King Records has been a best-seller on the album charts for a number of months.
Motown Rolling
Meanwhile, Motown – Tamla Records in Detroit, has just closed a highly lucrative tour for its Motor Town Revue, headlining a flock of stars on the two labels. The six-week tour played to capacity houses on close to half its dates. According to Esther Edwards of Motown, the tour concluded November 16 and 17 at the Fox Theater in Detroit, with standing room only audiences for eight shows over the two days. The total $42,000 gross represented the largest box office gross for two days in the past five years for the theater. The package featured The Miracles, Mary Wells, The Marvelettes, Kim Weston, The Contours, the Temptations, and on some dates, Little Stevie Wonder and Martha and the Vandellas, and included on stage Choker Campbell and his Orchestra Band. “We plan to send a tour out at least once a year,” Miss Edwards said.
In addition, Motown Records will send out a similar tour package of its own acts to Europe next spring, probably during April and May, 1964. END.
(Information and news source, Billboard; December 14, 1963).
Jingles from “CBS-FM Oldies 101” WCBS New York
BEACH BOYS: HOT ROD TREND CATCHES ON . . . NOVEMBER 23, 1963
From the MCRFB news archives: 1963
Beach Boys Move From Surf To New Street Rod Sound
NEW YORK — With three albums solid (and chart entries) and what looks like growing teenage acceptance, record companies are moving out of the surf and on to the track. There is a heavy emphasis of rock product that features gunning engines, peculiar jargon and rolling beat of what looks like the next big teenage fad — hot rod music.
One of the first labels to leap from the crest of the surf wave on to the hot rod track was Capitol Records. The firm’s Beach Boys made the transition without grinding gears, roaring from a string of surf hits to their first behind the wheel and engine groove, “Little Deuce Coupe.” The LP has followed the smash single up the chart.
“Shutdown” is another Capitol album that has ridden on the charts for some time, and has given the label an indication what the new swing was about. It contain various artists in hot rod garb. The label also has its West Coast surfing personality, Dick Dale, swinging in on the street rod popularity with his first hot rod LP.
Capitol is pushing hard with promotions behind the hot rod build. The label is supplying disc jockeys with a wide variety of material which includes sweatshirts carrying similar type drawings to those shown on the album covers.
The deejay kits also carry literature about hot rodding, including a pamphlet that explains the jargon and information regarding the organization of the National Hot Rod Association. In addition, deejays are being supplied with copies of the automotive publication, Hot Rod. In New York, the Capitol distributors are working closely with the hot rod club in Hempstead, and also with the Dick Clark Show. Still another part of the kit contains a sampler LP of hot rod music on the label. In addition to these LP’s, Capitol has two albums on the market that features the sounds of actual hot rodders in motion.
Regional breakout listing this week shows that the “Hot Rod City” LP on the Vault record label is coming in for a share of the action. This is another West Coast label making the transition from surf to road without a hitch. Vault is being distributed by Atco Records nationally and plans are in the works for special promotions with disk jockeys. Part of the national promotion being planned is a nationwide contest which would offer hot rod racing gear prizes to winners. These would be worked out with radio deejays on a regional basis.
A flood of singles product on a wide variety of labels has developed over the last month. Del Fi and a few other labels came roaring in with albums featuring the new motor sound. END.
(Information and news source: Billboard; November 23, 1963).
WKNR-AM — Bob Green Hot Rod Kits Giveaway — February, 1964
Addendum: In this MCRFB featured WKNR aircheck, Bob Green is heard promoting WKNR’s 200 Capitol Records ‘Hot Rod Kits’ giveaway at Korvette’s Department Store, located on Telegraph Rd., at W. Chicago. The date was February, 1964. (Click link for 6:05 audio).
“Cozy Cash” on The New 95.5 Cozy-fm, WCZY, January 1984
Voice: Ed Barrett