Keener 13

Keener correspondent Bob Berry aggregates these news stories from the Freep and MHOFM:

Down in Nashville late last month, the Musicians Hall of Fame held its first ever induction and Motown’s Funk Brothers backing band (drummer Uriel Jones, bassist Bob Babbitt and guitarist Eddie Willis) was among the honorees.

At the induction ceremony concert, Peter Frampton spoke of how he was inspired by the group and sang “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” with the inductees backing him. Former Supremes singer Mary Wilson then performed “Stop in the Name of Love.”

Here’s more from the MHOFM website.

NASHVILLE, TN (October 26, 2007) — The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum is happy to announce the first annual Musicians Hall of Fame Awards Show at Schermerhorn Symphony Center, November 26, 2007, 7:30 p.m.? This inaugural event celebrates the induction of some of the most esteemed and influential musicians in recording history. The inaugural inductees include the Nashville A-Team, The Blue Moon Boys, The Funk Brothers, The Memphis Boys, The Tennessee Two, and The Wrecking Crew.?

“These are the actual musicians who played on so many records that have become such a part of our everyday lives,” says Joe Chambers, CEO and founder, Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum.? “There are so many more musicians to be recognized and every year we will add more names to those who will be honored.? This will be such an historic evening with all these talented inductees being paid tribute on the stage of Nashville’s incredible new Schermerhorn Symphony Center.”

The event will showcase performances with some of the original members from the groups that being honored which include; The Nashville A-Team (Harold Bradley, Ray Edenton, Charlie McCoy, Bob Moore, Hargus “Pig” Robbins, and Jerry Kennedy), Funk Brothers (Uriel Jones, Joe Messina, Eddie Willis, and Bob Babbitt), Wrecking Crew? (Billy Strange, Don Randi, Larry Knechtel, Joe Osborn, Hal Blaine, Lyle Ritz, James Burton, Jim Horn, and Mike Deasy), Memphis Boys (Bobby Emmons, Bobby Wood, Gene Chrisman, Mike Leech, and Reggie Young), Tennessee Two (Marshall Grant and Bob Wooten, who replaced the late Luther Perkins); Blue Moon Boys (Scotty Moore and D.J. Fontana). These musicians played on mega-hits for such legendary superstars as the Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, George Harrison, Patsy Cline, Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, George Jones, the Supremes, and Frank Sinatra.? Along with this talented roster of performers, special guest vocalists will also be announced soon.

During rock radio’s golden age, there were a few personalities who transcended the format to become a brand in their own right. Such was the case with Philly legend Hy Lit who passed away recently at age 73. He exuded charisma but couldn’t follow formats, stepped all over the vocals and just plain did things his way. Here’s Jerry Del Collano’s appreciation along with a Ron Turner compilation of Hy Lit airchecks.

For several years, we produced a podcast celebrating the music, the memories and the popular culture of Detroit. The Keener13 Podcast got hits from around the world and, depending on the topic, tens of thousands of listeners sampled our flavor of Michigan rock. Time and the complicated maze of regulations on streaming media made our show a memory, but the passion flame for Michigan music is far from extinguished. Tony Clark and Art Van, two Keener enthusiasts and audio artists in their own right produce The Michigan Oldies Podcast, a regular two hour venture into the radio wayback machine. It’s a mixture of personality, trivia and tunes, much of which are rarely heard on the conventional airwaves these days. Find them at www.michiganoldiespodcast.com?.

What’s in a name? According to the Associated press, a British judge has ordered a rival group to stop using the Four Tops name. There are tribute acts everywhere. In Las Vegas, the Elvis impersonators alone are an industry, but High Court judge Nicholas Warren says that Oliver Miller crossed the line when he used “Viscount Oliver’s American Dream the Legendary Four Tops” to promote his band’s tribute act. He also ordered Miller to pay yet to be determined financial damages. The Tops British lawyer said that, “Today’s ruling was important for the Four Tops because it permitted them to protect their legacy in the U.K.” The?Tops are in a six-way tie for the 10th most popular act to chart on Keener, with 18 different records making finding their way to the WKNR Music Guide. They share the spot with the Dave Clark Five, Neil Diamon, The Miracles, The Raiders and the Rolling Stones.

Detroit radio observers are noting another historical footnote this week, Tom Ryan’s departure from WOMC. Some felt it was a decision that should have been made years ago, while others see it as another example of how big radio has lost touch with its audience.

For me, Tom was most enjoyable as Dick Purtan’s sidekick, as Sargent Sacto and as the creative commercial voice of numerous ads (Remember Captain FFO?). Although he had a loyal following, I could never connect with him as a host. Think of the communications magic Bob Green, Tom Shannon and Scott Regen had. Tom Ryan never quite made it to that level.

If the past is any indication, Tom won’t be off the air for long. Detroit loves its media people and there’s already talk that he will resurface over at WMGC.

Perhaps what we are mourning is the death of true personality radio, from the days when we felt we had a relationship with the hosts. Personality today seems to be the demagoguery extremes, people who thrive on anger, conflict and exclusion, the opposite of what the best of the CK and Keener guys were: friendly, seeking common ground and inclusive.

Somewhere along the line, the drive to distill a winning formula and maximize profit made the non-broadcaster owners lost sight of what made great radio really work: The People.

Beyond the haircuts, one of the distinctive visuals associated with the Beatles is the logo that adorned Ringo’s Ludwig drum kit. Brian Epstein was an early believer in the holistic approach to rock n roll branding. The hair, the suits, the boots, the guitars, the drums and the logo all contributed to the total Beatle experience. As a recent Freep slide show details a band’s logo is often instantly recognizable. Throughout the Keener era, you looked for The Brand when you flipped through albums at Harmony House, when you perused the newspaper concert pages and when you made those t-shirt purchases at the live shows. Dean Torrence, famously half of Jan & Dean, made a living in the imaging space crafting logos for the Turtles, Nillson and The Beach Boys. And today, The Brand is becoming more important that the records that were once its foundation. Radiohead and Prince have virtually given away their music in support of concert dates and merchandising. And Madonna recently abandoned Warner for Live Nation, the world’s largest concert promoter, who will try to maximize cash flows through multiple revenue streams, the records are almost secondary.. Frank Maruca had an innate understanding of The Brand in the run-up to Keener’s Halloween night launch 44 years ago, printing matchbooks, bumper stickers?and high school book covers and plastering the station’s distinctive blue logo wherever he could. Even now, seeing it in its various incarnations instantly brings back memories.

Motown royalty gathered in Detroit to celebrate the renaming of a section of Grand Avenue in honor of founder Berry Gordy, Jr. Susan Whitall covers the names and faces who attended.

Contact News reporter Bob Berry says: Even though she grew up in Detroit Aretha Franklin’s most productive years happend during her association with Atlantic Records. Terry Lawson notes that even the rejects from those years are classics. Aretha Franklin: Rare & Unreleased Recordings from the Golden Reign of the Queen of Soul ($19.95) features 35 tracks from the Queen of Soul’s years at Atlantic, 1966-1973.

One of the best things about Detroit television in the 60s was Soupy Sales. Loosely scripted and at least 80% ad libbed, Soupy’s show was aimed at kids, but it connected just as effectively with adults. Every Keenerfan?has his favorite Soupy skit. What’s yours? To help jog your memory, here is a complete Soupy Sales show from 1965 as preserved on YouTube: Part One – Part Two – Part Three. For the more adventurous, Ed Golick recounts the day Soupy had an unexpected visitor.

THE highlight of the recent Emmy Award broadcast was soundtrack from the Soprano’s tribute. The cast of the smash Broadway musical “The Jersey Boys”, performed some flawless interpretations of the music of The Four Seasons. My wife is the award show addict in our family, but I found myself pulled from the computer room, rewinding the DVR to listen again to the incredible Seasons magic. As this NYT article notes, the musical has been a catalyst for another Four Seasons rennaissance. And at the center, the singular talents of Franki Valli. The group charted 15 times on WKNR. Valli had 5 WKNR Music Guide appearances as a solo artist. At the dawn of the British Invasion, VeeJay actually put out a battle of the bands album pitting the Seasons against the Beatles. Here’s how the Four Seasons looked and sounded during a Hullabalo appearance at the height of their fame.

What do you remember about the winter of 1967? In New Orleans, District Attorney Jim Garrison said more than one person was involved in the Kennedy assassination. Teamsters President Jimmy Hoffa began an 8 year sentence for jury tempering. And Albert Desalvo received a life sentence for murders committed by The Boston Strangler. Zero in on the month of March. On NBC, Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock lose their inhibitions after being exposed to strange plant spores on Omicron Ceti III. Batman and the Monkees are at the height of their television fame. And on Keener, the airwaves are populated by a who’s who of 60s rock n roll acts: Buffalo Springfield, the Beatles, Herman’s Hermits, Martha & The Vandellas, the Four Tops, the Mama’s & Papa’s, the Royal Guardsmen, the Rolling Stones, Bob Seger, Harpers Bizarre, Leslie Gore, Peaches & Herb, Elvis Presley, Big Brother & The Holding Company, Frank & Nancy Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, the Platters and The Turtles. Look at the WKNR Music Guide for the week of March 6th and you’ll see a songbook filled with hits that are still in heavy rotation on oldies stations today. Perhaps the most unlikely group on the survey was lead by Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan. The two Westchester high school buddies fronted a band called The Turtles, a group that was teetering on the edge of oblivion.. until a tune, offered to them by strangers, rejuvenated their career. Happy Together rocketed them back to the top of the charts and became a multi-million dollar franchise that is still tapping toes and throwing off revenue today.? Here’s how the Turtles looked and sounded when they appeared on the?Smothers Brothers show in 1967. But what’s the story behind the story of the Turtles’ biggest hit? Mix Magazine occasionally looks back to dissect the magical art that studio recording was in the day. Their classic tracks review of how Happy Together came to be paints a vivid picture of the combination of talent and luck that made hit records happen.

He defined the Stax Records sound. He brought down the house at the Monterey Pop festival. And 40 years after his death, at age 26, Otis Redding‘s energy is still being felt. Here’s CNN’s look at his life and legacy and a YouTube recording of his electrifying live version of Try a Little Tenderness