Keener 13

By Bob Berry

Next time someone asks “what were the two Number One Songs of September, 1970?”, give ’em the answer they least expect.

It wasn’t a song by The Beatles, nor the Guess Who, Neil Diamond, Simon and Garfunkel or Smokey Robinson and the Miracles; all of whom had at least one #1 in 1970! And it wasn’t The Jackson Five, who had four consecutive Number One’s that year.

It was two of Detroit’s and Motown’s greatest artists: Edwin Starr and Diana Ross!

Edwin was first, Number One for three weeks (8/29-9/12) with his scorching version of the Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong Vietnam-era protest song, “War“. A song that was a much more mellow tune on The Temptations 1970 LP Psychedelic Shack, Edwin sang it with a fury  that reflected the times like few records ever have.

Diana Ross picked up where Edwin left off, and also went to Number One for three weeks (9/19-10/3)! Ironically, Diana’s song was also a cover, of  Ashford and Simpson’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough“. With spoken word, soaring strings from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and an amazing vocal, the song was a remarkable re-imagining of the original hit by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.

A Postscript. Motown Records had an amazing year in 1970, with a total of eighteen weeks at Number One! . The “big dog” was The J5’s 10 total weeks on the chart-including five weeks for “I’ll Be There”. Smokey and The Miracles’ “Tears Of A Clown” was #1 for 2 weeks, a plus three weeks each for Edwin and Diana.

Makes you wonder, like so many of the Funk Brothers (and others) have noted.  What might have been, what could have been; if Berry Gordy not moved Motown to Los Angeles.

By Bob Berry

It’s one of the great lyrics.

“I’m easy as Sunday Morning…”.

Lionel Richie wrote it, and he and The Commodores took a song about breaking up, “Easy”, to Top 5 in the late spring of 1977. It’s a beautiful song, sung, like their other smash ballads, “Three Times A Lady” and “Still“, so effortlessly, so wonderfully.

And I’ll venture a guess that one reason Lionel Richie is sometimes overlooked as a great singer, is the simple fact that he made it seem so easy.

Sunday Brunch is served, on Keener 13.

By Bob Berry

I was having lunch the other day, and  “Going To A Go-Go” came over the speakers in the restaurant.

And I started seat dancing to one of the great grooves in Motown history!

Bennie Benjamin fabulous tom-tom back-beat, then James Jamerson’s  bass line locking in with Marv Tarplin’s lead guitar, and The Miracles, Claudette, Bobby, Ronnie and Pete singing the hook smooth as butter.

So there you are, already movin’ in places where most people (especially from outside “The D”) don’t have places-and finally, we get Smokey’s joyful, “come join us” lead vocal: “They come from everywhere, and if you drop in there, you might see anyone in town..”.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, “Going To A Go-Go”!  The Keener Friday Song. “You should have some fun, I’m telling everyone…”, and enjoy this extraordinary “real, live” performance on Hullaballoo.

By Bob Berry

It was a perfectly timed TV show.

The British Invasion was happening, Motown was beginning it’s great run, and within the year the West Coast was more than just The Beach Boys, with Sonny and Cher plus The Byrds leading the way.

It was Shindig!, and we dug it!

It was TV that had the hits, just like turning on Keener. No more waiting for the spinning plates guy to vacate the stage, there was host Jimmy O’Neill and here comes the Righteous Brothers, Herman’s Hermits, Marvin Gaye, Del Shannon and even The Beatles!

Throw in the greatest house band in history, The Shindogs, including Glen Campbell, James Burton, Larry Knechtel and Ray Pohlman.  Mix in The Blossoms, with Darlene Love and Co. adding world-class backup harmonies. And then put dancers, The Shindiggers on the set, and Shindig! was Must-See TV 30 years before NBC thought of it!

Shindig debuted on ABC Television on September 16, 1964. And you had to watch, to be cool in school.

By Bob Berry

51 years later, it’s astounding.

A recording by the greatest group of all-time, with perhaps the most recognizable chorus of all-time, that ultimately went to Number One and was #64 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time.

And their record label didn’t want it, radio barely played it and it sold about 1,000 copies!

Such was the fate of The Beatles’ “She Loves You“, released-not by Capitol Records, but by Philly’s Swan Records (Palisades Park) 51 years ago today, September 16, 1963!

Astounding?

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!

By Bob Berry

The Queen of Soul, our own Aretha Franklin, will sing for Pope Francis at his Festival of Families in Philadelphia on September 26th.

The Festival, a “celebration of community, family and faith” will feature Andrea Bocelli, rock group The Fray and The Philadelphia Symphony and will be a highlight of the Pope’s itinerary.

Aretha began singing gospel music in her father’s church, the Reverend C.L.Franklin’s New Bethel Baptist Church, on C.L.Franklin Boulevard (Linwood Street) in Detroit-and having sung for you and I, Presidents and paupers; she surely will raise joyous noise for His Holiness.

By Bob Berry

Yoko Ono has a cool idea for John Lennon’s 75th birthday celebration

Rolling Stone reports that Yoko plans to “create” the world’s largest human peace sign in New York’s Central Park on Tuesday, October 6th.

The event will be free, and Yoko hopes for up to 10,000 attendees. Donations supporting the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, and pre-registration can be made here.

Here was the scene 5 years ago, on what was John’s 70th. The video was shot at the Strawberry Fields Memorial inside Central Park. It is a marvelous, magical place, where all ages gather to celebrate and remember.

You should go sometime.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31sPNmXm3gA

By Bob Berry

Barry White made, very simply, some of the most seductive, engaging, and joyful music of the disco era.

If you were at a club, and Barry’s music hit the speakers, you danced.

If you were on the way home with a significant other, and Barry White hit the radio speakers, you romanced. And from there, well, you were on your own.

Barry White, who passed in 2002 while awaiting a kidney transplant, would have celebrated his 70th birthday this weekend. “The Maestro’s” music lives on. Enjoy Sunday Brunch Triple Play on Keener!

By Bob Berry

It’s a big football weekend all across the “Water-Winter Wonderland” or “Pure Michigan”, as you prefer.

The Lions  kick off 2015 at the San Diego “Super Chargers”.  Hey guys, win one-plus a lot more, for Mel Farr!

U of M fans are hyped for Jim Harbaugh’s debut in The Big House, as the rebuilding job begins in earnest, hosting Oregon State.

And in East Lansing, Mark Dantonio’s Spartans are re-loaded, and ready for a season defining game, # 5 MSU hosting the #7 Oregon Ducks in primetime. Add in ESPN College GameDay, and it’s fair to say the Banks for the Red Cedar have not seen this type of excitement since the Notre Dame 10-10 tie in 1966!

Add in high school football (shouts to my North Farmington Raiders!), and the level of passion it generates in the barbershops, in the neighborhoods and on the field, and one can make a case we’re having a Pigskin Party!

And with that said-here’s our Keener Friday Song. From Holly Springs, Mississippi, cousins Mel Hardin and Tim McPherson and their Top Ten song from 1969, “Backfield In Motion”. Check ’em out performing at Wattstax in 1972. Sorry there is no video, but man, could they sing!

By Bob Berry

It started on September 8, 1965, with an ad in The Hollywood Reporter for “4 insane boys” for acting roles in a new TV series.

In a year, history would be made, and The Monkees were born.

Sure, we had seen something like it already, The Beatles in “A Hard Day’s Night” and “Help!”.

But The Beatles didn’t live in cool Malibu pad, nor drive one of the coolest cars ever. And as for the songs, nothing touches The Beatles catalog; but the combined efforts of Boyce and Hart, Neil Diamond, Carole King and Gerry Goffin, plus LA’s Wrecking Crew made the Monkees’ music pop perfect.

And for 3 short years, Mickey, Davy, Mike and Peter ruled TV and Radio. The concerts, the record sales, the merchandising, were a phenomenon. And then it died, done in by the poorly received movie “Head“, changing tastes and well, time.  The Monkees soon had a new “first name”, “whateverhapppenedto”.

Then 1986 happened. The Monkee Marathon on MTV, followed by the 20th anniversary reunion tour, with the Keener Generation, now mostly in their mid-30’s, was primed for a blowout with their idols. Mickey was still goofy cool. Davy was still “OMG”, according to my then-girlfriend Mary, when we and 15,000 friends saw them in concert (and sang all the words!) outdoors in Grand Haven, Michigan.

And now, it’s 50 years later. Davy is gone, sadly missed. Mike, still the reluctant one. Peter, and especially Mickey, the Monkees heartbeat, carrying on the flame. And we are about to find out if history will be repeated. Rhino has announced the entire remastered TV series, plus the movie “Head”, the 1969 TV special and TONS of bonus material will be released on January 28th, 2016, and only on sale through the Monkees’ website. All the details are here.

The Monkee Mania, is here.

By Bob Berry

Calling it “one of the highlights” of his career, British singer Sam Smith has confirmed what everyone pretty much knew:

He will sing the theme “Spectre“, the 24th James Bond film. “Writing’s on the Wall,” will be released on September 25. The movie debuts on October 26 in the UK and on November 6 in the United States.

Sam Smith was a four-time winner at this year’s Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist, plus Song and Record of the Year. But singing the Bond Theme is an entirely different gig. Smith will be following the likes of Dame Shirley Bassey (“Goldfinger”), Sir Paul McCartney (“Live And Let Die”), Duran Duran (“A View To A Kill”), and Adele; whose recording of “Skyfall” became the first 007 theme to win The Brit Awards, Golden Globes and Academy Award in the same year!

Is he up to the task? It’s an open question, according to the UK’s Guardian newspaper. But then, people doubted Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan and the newest Bond (now on his 4th round of Tuxes), Daniel Craig.

tre T

By Bob Berry

Labor Day Weekend is here, the official end of Michigan’s all-too-short summer.

Labor Day also coincides with the opening of college football season, and the buzz over the re-build in Ann Arbor, and the re-load in East Lansing. Plus, the kids will (finally?) head back to school-and won’t Tuesday morning be fun!

Of course, Labor Day celebrates The American Worker. So for this week’s Friday Songs, here’s a Keener Countdown of the Top 5 songs about work. Enjoy the weekend, everyone!

#5. Jersey Boys checking in, this Four Seasons song from 1966, was later a hit for The Spinners in ’79.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sfpm2I0dev8

#4. The great Sam Cooke, with a song he wrote that went all the way to #2, in time for Labor Day, 1960.

#3. Tommy James was just “makin a livin’..”, he wrote it, produced it, and you made it Top 5 on Keener in 1971.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmS_arelR-M

#2. The Beatles, who could have been a Top 5 on the own! We picked a favorite, the title song to their first movie!

#1. Lee Dorsey, top 10 in the summer of ’66. Because somewhere along the line, over Labor Day weekend, you’ll be kickin’ back, lovin’ life and need a groove. And there a few grooves better than a New Orleans groove!