Keener 13

By Bob Berry

August 24th, 1963. Awesome just got a new name:

Little Stevie Wonder!

Motown’s “12 Year-Old Genius” became the first artist to simultaneously hit Number One on the album and singles chart. Not Elvis, not Fats, not nobody.

We now know it was just the beginning of an epic journey for Stevie, as a man, as an artist, as a role model for the physically challenged, and particularly the blind.

Back then, all we knew for sure was “Fingertips Part 2” was one great rock and roll record. Here it is, in all it’s glory, recorded live at the Regal Theater in Chicago.

Everybody say YEAH!

By Bob Berry

The other day, I wrote about The Rolling Stones’ first #1 album, Out Of Our Heads, which topped the charts for 3 weeks. That was small potatoes.

Try NINE weeks at Number One. That’s what Creedence Clearwater Revival did with their fifth album,  Cosmo’s Factory, this week in 1970.

The album title came from drummer Doug Clifford’s nickname for the garage in Berkeley, California the band used for almost daily rehearsals, so that practice was like goin’ to work. One thing for sure, the practice paid off, because Cosmo’s Factory was loaded with hits!

January 1970’s double-sided smash “Travelin’ Band” and “Who’ll Stop The Rain. Another double-sided smash in April, “Run Through The Jungle” and “Up Around The Bend”.  And “Lookin’ Out My Back Door”, released in July. Top 5 hits all, seemingly a career nowadays, complimented by cool album cuts that were on every CCR LP.

Including one very special cut, with roots at Motown on West Grand Boulevard, in Detroit. The epic, “swamp-rock soulful”, 11-minute version of Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong’s “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”. Sadly, it appears CCR never did the full version for video, so we’ll have to settle for the four minute edit.

By Bob Berry

It was 50 years ago today, August 21, 1965 and the Rolling Stones were Number One the the album “Out Of Our Heads“.

And you could just about see it coming. Released on July 30th, “Out Of Our Heads”, was powered by two songs which are among the band’s greatest, each released as a single and perfectly timed to keep the album on the charts for a total of 66 weeks.

The first was “The Last Time”,  a personal favorite. Released in March 1965,  “The Last Time” reached #9 on the charts. Rarely played live for nearly 30 years, when The Stones “revived” it for the Bridges to Babylon tour, it brought down the house.

The second song was “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”, it marked the true full flowering of the Jagger-Richards writing partnership. Released in June, ’65, it was the band’s first #1 song, and one which has never left their live repertoire.

Here are live performances of both songs. “Satisfaction” recorded in 1965 for the “Charlie Is My Darling” documentary and “The Last Time”, recorded in 2012 at Madison Square Garden. It’s cell phone video of reasonably high quality, and a testament to the power of “The World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band”

By Bob Berry

Tom Hanks. Movie Star, Common Man, the guy who inducted the Dave Clark Five into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and took us From The Earth to Moon.

He’s guy you’d call your Bosom Buddy, go to court or go to war with.

Tom Hanks is, and certainly this is no slight to Vince Vaughn or whoever is playing this year’s version of Batman, the finest actor of our generation.

And he will again team with Steven Spielberg in a Cold War thriller set in an moment in time that those of us in the Keener Generation remember all too well: Francis Gary Powers’ U-2 being shot down over Russia, and the subsequent negotiations for his release.

“Bridge of Spies“, co-starring Mark Rylance, Amy Ryan, Alan Alda, James Caan and Ed Asner, opens October 18. See you in the popcorn line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ng7wZLJgdCw

By Bob Berry

Robert Redford-The Sundance Kid, celebrates his 79th birthday today (August 18).

Hollywood icon, Academy-Award winning director. Environmentalist, before it was cool. Founder of the Sundance Resort, Institute and Festival. Kennedy Center honoree.

The Guy guys wanted to be, and still do. The Guy girls wanted to be with, and (after checking with certain sources), still do!

Coolest guy in the room, even when he was outdoors. And best-dressed.

Robert Redford is one of the biggest film personalities of the last 50 years.  I think he’s one of our best actors, if only because he made it look so easy.

I just hope he’s learned how to swim.

By Bob Berry

It was 50 years ago this weekend. The Beatles changed, like they changed a lot of things, the live concert experience.

The Beatles played Shea Stadium in Queens, New York.

Oh, sure, there would still be shows at the Masonic Temple, or the Fox Theatre. But for the really big groups, August 15, 1965 showed the way to new venues, opportunities and riches.

Play baseball stadiums when you can. Make major arenas, seating 14-17,000 the norm. And while it is true that it took a few years for the sound and light capability to catch up and properly showcase the artist, there was no waiting, and no turning back. Not from the moment that Ed Sullivan said those words..”here are The Beatles!”

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xodm5p_the-beatles-live-at-shea-stadium_shortfilms

There’s an interesting side note to the ’65 show. On July 16 and 18, 2008, Billy Joel played two concerts before the legendary Shea Stadium met the wrecking ball. The first of the two Last Play At Shea concerts closed with Paul McCartney joining Billy on stage, and how Paul got to the show, and who he met before going on stage; is nearly as compelling at Sir Paul and Billy knocking “I Saw Her standing There” out of the park!

By Bob Berry

This is so totally cool-and it took the coolest guy in the room to do it.

Bloomfield Hills’ Roger Penske had a parade on Woodward Thursday. And not just any, but a parade of the SIXTEEN Indianapolis Pace Cars he has won in his legendary racing career!

Now that’s cruisin’ Woodward!

And who did he get to drive those cars? How about names like 4-time winners Rick Mears and Al Unser, 3-time winners Helio Castroneves and Bobby Unser?  Plus 2-time winner Al Unser Jr. .and Rochester Hills’ Brad Keselowski, the 2012 NASCAR Champion.  To name a few.

Proving why he’s the boss, “The Captain”, a former sports car racing champion, smartly put ’em all in his rear-view mirror, leading the parade with  a 1972 Cutlass 442. That car was his first Indy Pace Car “trophy”, collected after winning that year’s race with the late Mark Donohue.

Roger Penske has made a huge impact on Metro Detroit over the years, going back to his dealership on Telegraph Road, his ownership of Detroit Diesel, and his vision-which helped bring the Super Bowl to The D and the annual Indy Car race to Belle Isle.  Read all about the Thursday’s parade and learn what drives Roger Penske with this story from ESPN. Or check the video, and go fishtailing with “Bad Brad” and WXYZ-TV Action News.

By Bob Berry

It’s Woodward Dream Cruise Weekend in the Motor City, and we couldn’t be more excited! Excited to see old friends, re-tell old tales, and celebrate the very essence of why we are The Motor City:

The cars! The ones we owned, dreamed of, restored or in the case of my friend of 55 years, Bob Karakashian, the ’69 1/2 Dodge Six-Pack he bought at 19 and never sold!

There’s an emotional, almost spiritual, tie to these cars, and while we’re spotlighting the great Keener generation muscle cars; those same feelings can be stirred at the sighting of a chopped and channeled ’41 Willys, a ’59 Cadillac, or yes, a “Little Deuce Coupe“!

So here we go, five favorites (actually 4 more) that always turn your head, and make you wish it was yours!

The Boss 302 Mustang. Sure, the original Mustang invented a category, captivated millions and inspired The D’s Sir Mack Rice to write “Mustang Sally“. And a fave of Keener’s Scott Westerman.

But ask a Ford guy or gal, they’ll tell ya, you can’t beat The Boss! The classic fastback, nice engine combo, Trans-Am racing superstar, and most importantly, The Answer to a Z-28 Chevy Camaro!

The Pontiac G.T.O. Inspired by the great “Royal Bobcats” of Ace Wilson’s Royal Pontiac. Inspiration for one of the great garage band car tunes of all-time, “Little G.T.O.”. The place where John DeLorean found Jim Wangers, and with the help of “3 deuces and a 4-speed and a 389” (and a lot of talented Pontiac people) created the car that defines the term “muscle car”.

Put a Tiger in your tank, baby!

My pal Lynn Henning of The Detroit News suggested this one: The 1967 Dodge Charger. In Lynn’s words, “My cousin got one right after he got out of the Navy. Canary yellow, with black vinyl top. Car absolutely smoldered“.  Hidden headlights, full fastback. And since Lynn didn’t specify, we’re gonna go with a 440 Magnum engine smoldering under the hood.

It was the original Dodge Boys’ leader of the Dodge Rebellion.

And finally, one close to the heart of this born and raised Chevy Guy.

The 1969 Chevy Malibu SS. The “squarish” Chevelle look was long gone. Front fenders flowing to the kicked up rear, merging with the semi-fastback roofline. Cool wheels mounted on BF Goodrich T/A’s. And while it’s nice that the Beach Boys sang about the “409” that was old school.

My SS has the 396/325 horsepower Big Block with 4-speed thank you.

See you at The Hunter House, and we can “discuss matters”! 🙂

Leave a comment and tell us about your favorites. And drive safely, everyone!

By Bob Berry

I got to thinking about cruising music today, “gotta-have’s” for the roll-up to Saturday’s Woodward Dream Cruise. Motown, done. Beatles, done. Soul, from Memphis and Muscle Shoals, Philly, New Orleans.

And hey, load up the local heroes! The Rationals. The Shy Guys. Tim Tam and The Turn-on’s, SRC, The Woolies and The Underdogs! Plus Key Man of Music Pat St. John’s fave: Richard the the Young Lions!

But what about something to cut through revs and the rumble of a well tuned set of Hedman Headers? Try some Dave Clark Five, the British Invasion version of the Big Block V-8 on those woofers and tweeters!

Dave just pounding his drums into the floor. Mike Smith’s great lead vocals (with lots of reverb). Denis Payton blowing up his saxophone, plus Lenny Davidson’s lead guitar and Rick Huxley’s fat bass,  all mixed with an extra touch of compression that even the Motown engineers would have been proud of!

Yeah, the DC5 were Go Big or Go Home LOUD! And they sounded great at The Totem Pole and Ted’s and they’ll sound great Saturday. Here’s a reminder, in 2:41.

By Bob Berry

What an extraordinary life!

College All-American, in Los Angeles for the USC Trojans. An All-Pro, MVP, Hall of Fame career with the New York Football Giants.

A King of New York, when he retired in 1964

What an extraordinary life Frank Gifford led, and he was only getting started.

Broadcasting, first for CBS Sports, part of the “Tiffany Network. And then the legendary years at ABC Sports, the Tiffany of Network  Sports. Monday Night Football, Evel Knievel at Wembley Stadium, the Olympics, Summer and Winter, downhill skiing with Bob Beattie. And yes, some off the wall stuff for Wide World Of Sports, because Roone Arledge expected his boys to cover it all. And, oh by the way, Frank Gifford filled-in as host for Good Morning America.

Call it King of New York, Volume 2.

Frank Gifford passed away this morning, a week shy of his 85 birthday. What an extraordinary life. And the damndest thing was, he made it all look so easy.

R.I.P., Giff.

By Bob Berry

It’s amazing what can happen in the digital age, and this may be a topper.

Elvis went to London’s Abbey Road Studios!

More accurately, the voice-tracks of some of Elvis’ most iconic recordings went to Abbey Road, and a new album, If I Can Dream: Elvis Presley With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is coming October 30th.

Think about that. Elvis, gone nearly 40 years. Tracks that go back up to 50 years or more. Brought to London, to the home of The Beatles, and with newly imagined arrangements with the RPO, new recordings will soon be in our hands. The 14-song LP will include “Burning Love”, “It’s Now Or Never”, “Love Me Tender” and “In The Ghetto”, plus-get this!, Michael Buble’ on a duet of “Fever”, and guitar legend Duane Eddy on “American Trilogy” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water”.

Priscilla Presley said the project “would have been a dream come true for Elvis”. While we wait for the dream to become reality, here’s the first single release from the new album, “If I Can Dream”, originally recorded for the ’68 Comeback Special. Enjoy!

And for comparison, the original. I read where the update has been called “not a new version, but a fuller version”. That sounds about right to me-see if you agree.

If I Can Dream: Elvis Presley With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will be released as a single CD, double LP vinyl and on digital services.

By Bob Berry

August 7, 1967. One of my “desert island” songs,  “Itchycoo Park” by The Small Faces, was released.

And not just any desert island song, but an “anytime, anywhere, can’t get enough of it, always fresh when I hear it, played it too loud in the car, let’s play it louder!” song.

Written by Small Faces Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane, brilliantly engineered by Glyn Johns; “Itchycoo Park” was a sonic marvel of it’s time. Play it loud, and you’ll discover it still is.

And “all too beautiful”, indeed.

As you probably know, The Small Faces, Marriott on guitar and vocals, Lane backup vocals and bass, plus Kenny Jones on drums, and Ian McLagan in Hammond B-3, morphed into what became The Faces, when Steve Marriott left to form Humble Pie in 1969. Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood of the Jeff Beck Group joined the remaining “Smalls”, and over the course of the next 6 years, created a marvelous musical legacy.  All were inducted, and both groups honored, with induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012.

Happy Friday from all of us who “groove about and feed the ducks” at Keener 13.com!