 December 21 - 31, 2006These are the scripts Joe Benson used on the air at 95.5 KLOS in Los Angeles. They all received final editing by Jan Benson, without whom the task would have been far too daunting. Remember to give credit where credit is due, and enjoy! December 21, 2006
Frank Zappa would have been 66. 
On this day in 1966, The Beatles recorded the clarinets used on "When I'm Sixty-Four." On this day in 1967, The Rolling Stones released their psychedelic stinker "Their Satanic Majesties Request" in the U.S., where it reached #2 on the album charts right behind The Beatles' "Magical Mystery Tour." On this day in 1968, The Bob Seger System released the song "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man." On this day in 1974, Bad Company was joined for a jam onstage by Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin at London's Rainbow Theatre. On this day in 1974, ELO released the song "Can't Get It Out Of My Head." On this day in 1978, Rod Stewart settled out of court with drummer Mickey Waller, who claimed he was not paid royalties for his work on 1974's "Smiler" album. Anybody know where Mickey is today? On this day in 1985, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band's version of "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" was released. On this day in 1992, legendary blues guitarist Albert King died from a heart attack in Memphis at the age of 69.  Three hours of your favorite Classic Rock & Roll Christmas songs and rare Nuggets — songs from John Lennon, Boston, Pink Floyd, Bruce Springsteen, the Eagles, U2, Camp Freddy, The Black Crowes and Stevie Nicks, among many others. Check out this year's playlist! 
Hamilton's Cancer FreeAerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton says that, after undergoing extensive radiation treatments, "I had a [diagnostic] scan and it showed that the tumor and the [cancer] cells in the adjacent lymph gland were gone." Although he's "not quite 100% yet," he's looking "forward to [the] European tour [Aerosmith are] planning for next Spring." Right so, Tom! Lennon's File Finally OpenedNearly 10 years after University of California – Irvine professor Jon Wiener won a Supreme Court decision giving him access to the bulk of former Beatle John Lennon's 300-page FBI file, the last 10 documents have finally been made public. Calling the extended withholding of the file "a classic case of excessive government secrecy," the prof has posted the newly-released papers online at http://www.LennonFBIfiles.com. Procol Harum Keyboardist WinsFormer Procol Harum keyboardist Matthew Fisher has won his court battle over royalties from the band's biggest hit, "Whiter Shade of Pale." London's High Court Judge William Blackburne said Fisher should get 40% of the song's future copyright earnings, as well as those amassed since he initiated legal proceedings in May 2005. The musically educated Judge agreed that Fisher wrote the distinctive organ part on the track, which was originally credited only to frontman Gary Brooker and lyricist Keith Reid. With sales of 10 million worldwide, the song has supported someone's comfortable lifestyle for almost 40 years. Not sure why it took Fisher 38 years to file a legal claim since Brooker has been dismissing Matthew's claims from the beginning. But now the irate former singer will be paying 90% of his former keyboardist's legal costs, estimated at up to $1.5 million. Sounds like the basis for the lyrics to another song! Hyping "Sir" RingoOne of Britain's sterling tabloids, The Sun, is backing a high profile campaign to help Ringo Starr earn knighthood on the Queen's New Year's Honors List. The Sun has printed a testimonial that says, "(Ringo) is the man who has touched the lives of three generations of music fans with his genius, the man who was one quarter of the greatest band ever to walk the Earth — and, last but not least, the man who provided the voice for Thomas The Tank Engine." The Queen's Honors are awarded twice a year to people for all types of service, including the performing arts. Although the former Beatle drummer has publicly stated his indifference towards the honor, I'm sure he'd be right there to pick it up if it were offered! The Who's Big Ass Road CaseDo you know why true Who fans are refinancing their homes? The Who's Deluxe Road Case boxed set from the first half of the iconic band's 2006 U.S. tour is now available online. The hand-numbered deluxe road case features The Who's first 20 concerts (September 12th through November 5th) on both double CD sets and DVD discs. The package also includes a miniature tour program and an autographed card from Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey housed in a miniature equipment road case. How much for this treasure trove? A mere $1,000 for the deluxe road case. The "collector's edition," which includes either the CDs or DVDs, sells for $475 each. You can order the second volume of The Who's Deluxe Road Case, covering the tour's second leg, beginning in February. Roddy's Vintage XmasThe one-hour Rod Stewart Christmas Concert, taken from the BBC Old Grey Whistle Test series, debuts on Vh1 Classic tonight. The show features a young, rambunctious Rod Stewart headlining a 1976 Christmas Eve special at London's Olympia Theatre. While he didn't do any Xmas songs, Stewart did perform his hits of the day, including "Tonight's The Night" and "Maggie May." And yes, he did occasionally gyrate as he sang. 
Winter!OK, so it's the first day of Winter. Have you even started your Christmas shopping? Quote Of The WeekIt was English humorist P.G. Wodehouse who said: "The trouble with cats is that they've got no tact." Xmas FactoidsOver 16% of the people who decorate their yards and houses spend more than six hours each year putting up the decorations. The first documentation of decorating a Christmas tree was in 1604 in Strasburg, Germany. Decorating Christmas trees became a tradition in the U.S in the mid-1800's and has evolved over the subsequent 150 year period to the industry we know today. In 1851, Mark Carr hauled two sleds loaded with trees from the Catskills to the streets of New York City and opened the first retail tree lot in the U.S. Until fairly recently, all Christmas trees came from forests, not farms. It takes up to 12 years to grow a Christmas tree of average retail height, which is 6-7 feet. The tallest living Christmas tree is believed to be the 122-foot, 91-year-old Douglas fir in the town of Woodinville, Washington. Happy Holidays to all!! December 22, 2006
Guitarist Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick is 59.
On this day in 1965, The Byrds recorded the song "Eight Miles High" (initially inspired by flying at 50,000 feet elevation). On this day in 1967, Pink Floyd played the "Christmas on Earth Revisited" event at London's Olympia Theater. Throughout the concert, singer Syd Barrett simply stared at the audience in a hallucinogenic daze. Quite the showman, that Syd. On this day in 1973, "Hello It's Me" by Todd Rundgren peaked at #5 Gregg Allman's "Midnight Rider" entered the charts. On this day in 1978, The Who announced that the Faces' Kenny Jones was the replacement for their late drummer Keith Moon. On this day in 1979, Paul McCartney held the first of three Concerts for Kampuchea at London's Hammersmith Odeon to benefit relief efforts in the war-torn country. Besides the Walrus, The Clash, Elvis Costello, and The Who appeared on the bill. On this day in 2002, Joe Strummer, lead singer/guitarist/songwriter for the seminal British punk band The Clash, died of a heart attack in his home at the age of 50. Three hours of your favorite Classic Rock & Roll Christmas songs and rare Nuggets — songs from John Lennon, Boston, Pink Floyd, Bruce Springsteen, the Eagles, U2, Camp Freddy, The Black Crowes and Stevie Nicks, among many others. Check out this year's playlist!
Colbert's All Star ShredFirst The Decemberists challenged Stephen Colbert of The Colbert Report to find out who the better guitarist was. Then Colbert accepted and, on Wednesday's show, the Countdown to Guitarmageddon was kicked off by former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who appeared via satellite to announce, "It is time to rock." When it was his turn to play, Colbert grabbed a five-necked guitar he claimed to have borrowed from Cheap Trick's Rick Nielson and said, "I might shred so hard tonight that I'll blow out the first four necks." Kissinger told Colbert to "crank it up" and the host immediately pretended to have cut his hand. Fortunately, Peter Frampton was on hand to take the "injured" Colbert's place. Of course Colbert's audience overwhelmingly voted him the winner. Then his guest took the stage for an all-star guitar jam of The Colbert Report's theme song, which it turns out was written by Rick Nielson, who was also there for the jam. No word on whether Kissinger tore it loose with his Flying Vee guitar, but you know how he is! Floyd's Eyeballs Sell LargePink Floyd's two six-foot-tall eyeballs have a new home, and a British charity has more resources. The eyeballs, autographed by band members, were used to promote the release of the Pulse DVD. The band just sold them in an eBay auction for more than $32,500, with the money going to Crisis, a British organization that helps the homeless. Floyd frontman David Gilmour has been a longtime supporter of Crisis, and currently serves as a vice president for the organization. David noted that, with winter settling in, raising both awareness as well as money for the cause, right now, is important. Bowie In U2 VideoYep, that's David Bowie lip-synching along with the music in the video for "Window In the Skies," U2's new song from their latest greatest hits collection. Bowie, who's kept a low profile lately, is currently curating the Highline Festival, set for next May in New York City. David will also perform at that event, marking his first New York show since 2003. The Thin White Duke recently told New York magazine, "I'm fed up with the (music) industry and I've been fed up for quite some time. I'm taking a year off — no touring, no albums. I go for a walk every morning and I watch a ton of movies. One day, I watched three Woody Allen movies in a row." Wonder if they were the ones featuring Scarlett Johansson? Bid On Little StevenAn online charity auction has been launched offering the winning bidder and friends the chance to celebrate New Year's Eve in New York with E Street Band guitarist/Sopranos star Steven Van Zandt and other cast members of the hit HBO series. Some proceeds raised by the event at the N.Y.C. Hard Rock Cafe, will benefit the VH1 Save The Music Foundation and the Rock & Roll Forever Foundation. Bids will be accepted until Tuesday at http://members.ebay.com/ws2/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=hardrock_nyc. Crosby/Nash AgainDavid Crosby and Graham Nash will follow Crosby, Stills & Nash's February-March run through Australia and New Zealand with a tour of their own. The Evening With David Crosby and Graham Nash tour will begin on March 21st in Kentucky, with more shows to be added very soon.
More Xmas FactoidsAccording to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer. But male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually between late November and mid-December, while female reindeer retain their antlers till after they give birth in the spring. Therefore, according to every historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer, every single one of those magic caribou — from Rudolph to Blitzen — had to be female. While this is a bit on the nontraditional side, it does make sense. Only women, while pregnant, would be able to drag a fat man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night and not get lost! You go girls! Rudolph is definitely the most famous reindeer of all, so much so that he's even had movies based on his exploits. The other 8 tiny caribou [Blitzen, Comet, Cupid, Dancer, Dasher, Donder (or Donner), Prancer, and Vixen] were first named in 1822 by American poet Clement Clark Moore in his poem "A Visit From St. Nicholas." Rudolph was first written about in 1939 by Robert May, who included him in a story for the Montgomery Ward Christmas catalogue. Commerce, baby, pure commerce! Santa Claus, as we know him, was introduced in a 1931 Coca-Cola advertisement. Famed commercial artist Haddon Sundblom (who was also responsible for Aunt Jemima) drew Santa as a very plump human with a jovial face and big beard, rather than the traditional middle-European elf. Today, it is the image of Sundblom's Santa that slips down chimneys and warms hearts around the world. Santa and Rudolph — commerce, baby, warm and fuzzy marketing genius! The common abbreviation for Christmas, Xmas, was derived from the Greek alphabet. X is the letter Chi, the first letter of Christ's name in Greek. Not invented in America, not even for commerce. Mistletoe was associated with peace and friendship in ancient Scandinavia. Even in the time of the Druids, mistletoe was believed to have magical properties. People who met under a tree bearing mistletoe were forbidden to fight, even if they were enemies, and anyone who entered a home decorated with mistletoe was entitled to shelter and protection. The kissy face stuff came later. Commerce? You be the judge. Charles Dickens' initial words for Scrooge's outburst in the book, "A Christmas Carol," were "Bah, Christmas!" He eventually changed it to the now immortal, "Bah, Humbug!", but never really got the big cash payoff. Bing Crosby's "White Christmas," from the soundtrack of the holiday movie classic "Holiday Inn," is the biggest selling Christmas single of all time. More than 30 million copies have been sold. (In fact, only Elton John's "Candle in the Wind '97" has sold more copies, at 33 million.) Good ol' American commerce! Happy Holidays to all!! December 23, 2006
Original Jefferson Airplane guitarist Jorma Kaukonen is 66. Mott the Hoople guitarist Ariel Bender and Spooky Tooth guitarist Luther Grosvenor are both 57, and never, ever seen together. Guitar whiz Adrian Belew, who worked with Frank Zappa, David Bowie and King Crimson, is 57. Vocalist Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam is 42.
On this day in 1957, Bobby Helms' "Jingle Bell Rock" entered the chart for the first time. Don't worry — I will NOT play his version of that song on Uncle Joe's Rockin' Christmas Show! On this day in 1967, Jimi Hendrix released his "Foxey Lady" single. On this day in 1969, Elton John and Bernie Taupin began writing songs together. One year later, their composition "Your Song" was an international hit. Since day one, John has always provided melodies to Taupin's lyrics. On this day in 1978, Rod Stewart released the song "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy." That was the exact point where his old band The Faces thanked the heavens that Roddy had left them behind. On this day in 1999, police arrested a stalker at George Harrison's Hawaiian home. The unemployed woman appeared to be living in the empty mansion, using the phone, washing machine and ordering pizza. There was no truth to the rumor that she also had an audition tape for him. December 24, 2006
The mighty George Thorogood is 56.
On this day in 1968, Led Zeppelin left Britain to start their first American tour. Robert Plant later said, "It was Christmas, and Christmas away from home for the English is the end of the world." On this day in 1992, Doobie Brothers percussionist Bobby LaKind died after a long battle with cancer. He was only 47. December 25, 2006
Bassist Noel Redding of the Jimi Hendrix Experience would have been 61.
On this day in 1959, young Richard Starkey received his first drum set for Christmas. The 18-year-old apprentice engineer seemed to have a knack for pounding the skins, and later become world famous as Ringo Starr, drummer for The Beatles. On this day in 1964, jealous fans attending one of The Beatles' London Christmas shows attacked George Harrison's girlfriend Patti Boyd. On this day in 1965, George Harrison proposed to Patti Boyd as they drove to a Christmas dinner in London. No fans got close enough to attack this time. On this day in 1967, Paul McCartney, ever the romantic, became engaged to actress Jane Asher. Alas, they never did marry. On this day in 1971, Led Zeppelin released "Black Dog" as a single in the U.S. On this day in 1976, the song "Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas was released. On this day in 2006, James Brown — "The Godfather of Soul," "The Hardest Working Man in Show Business," "Soul Brother Number One" and "Mr. Dynamite" (and often introduced as all of the above) — died in Atlanta of congestive heart failure at the age of 73. December 26, 2006
Uber Producer Phil Spector is 66.
On this day in 1964, The Beatles "I Feel Fine" topped the charts, while their song "She's a Woman" hit #4. In 12 months, they had scored a staggering 30 charting hit singles. Meanwhile, The Rolling Stones — who had still not achieved any significant action on the charts — took out a full-page ad in the U.K. music press wishing starving hairdressers a Happy Christmas. On this day in 1967, The Beatles premiered their psychedelic movie "Magical Mystery Tour" on British TV, and absolutely no one could figure it out. On this day in 1968, Led Zeppelin began their first U.S. tour in Denver (all except bassist John Paul Jones had picked up nasty colds during their three-day-stay in Los Angeles — too much bare-ass running around!). On this day in 1970, George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" peaked at #1 on the charts. It is still considered by many to be his best solo work.
James Brown R.I.P.James Brown — "The Godfather of Soul," "The Hardest Working Man in Show Business," "Soul Brother Number One" and "Mr. Dynamite" (and often introduced as all of the above) — died early Monday in Atlanta of congestive heart failure at the age of 73. The legendary R&B singer/songwriter who created a foundation for funk and provided the roots of rap, was one of a kind, known for his elastic dance moves, razor-sharp musicianship and all-stops-out performances. Sir Bono (Sort Of)The official announcement on Saturday said: "The British Embassy in Dublin takes great pleasure in announcing that Her Majesty The Queen has appointed Bono to be an honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in recognition of his services to the music industry and for his humanitarian work." The 46-year-old songer will receive the honor in Dublin early in the new year during a ceremony conducted by the British ambassador. Why not the Queen like Sir Paul and Sir Elty? Because Bono is an Irishman, not a British national. He won't receive any tax breaks, nor will he be able to use the title "Sir." And henceforth, Bono shall forever be associated with fellow Dubliner (and occasional singer) Bob Geldof, who received the same honor in 1986. Other recipients of honorary knighthoods this time around include Microsoft founder Bill Gates, opera singer Placido Domingo and film director Steven Spielberg. Bon Jovi/Cole BenefitJon Bon Jovi and designer Kenneth Cole will co-host the R.S.V.P. To Help benefit on January 25th in New York. Jon will perform an acoustic set at the event, which will raise funds for Habitat for Humanity, Help USA and the Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation. Attendees at the 500-person party will also get to bid on various rare goods during a silent and live auction. The gala will mark Bon Jovi's second initiative with Cole to benefit homeless charities.
ReflectionsAs we approach the New Year, I thought I'd pass along a few choice quotes people have sent in. Happy Holidays to all, and God Bless! "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." - Confucius "Live simply so that others can simply live." - Gandhi "Great spirits have often encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." - Albert Einstein "Fame is vapor, popularity an accident, riches take wing. Only one thing endures and that is character." - Abraham Lincoln "Too much of a good thing can be wonderful." - Mae West "I have had dreams, and I have had nightmares. I overcame the nightmares because of my dreams." - Dr. Jonas Salk "We are continually faced with great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems." - Lee Iacocca "I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart." - Anne Frank "Failure is the path of least persistence." - Anonymous "The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time." - Abraham Lincoln "Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative." - Oscar Wilde "Man invented language to satisfy his deep need to complain." - Lily Tomlin "Never argue with a fool. Someone watching may not be able to tell the difference." - Anonymous "I didn't fight my way to the top of the food chain to be a vegetarian." - Anonymous "Some day you'll thank me for all this scary love." - Homer Simpson December 27, 2006
Scotty Moore, guitarist for Elvis Presley on the early recordings that helped define Rock & Roll, is 75 and still rockin'.
On this day in 1969, The Beatles' "Abbey Road" was #1 on the American album charts, "Led Zeppelin II" was #2, and The Rolling Stones' classic "Let It Bleed" was #3. Now that was some significant music! On this day in 1976, Queen released the follow-up to their highly acclaimed "A Night At The Opera" album, "A Day At The Races." Both album titles were taken from Marx Brothers movies. On this day in 1976, acclaimed blues guitarist Freddie King died in Dallas, Texas of a heart attack aggravated by a blood clot and internal bleeding ulcers. He was only 42. On this day in 1980, John Lennon's "(Just Like) Starting Over," and the album it came from, "Double Fantasy," both hit #1 as Bruce Springsteen's "Hungry Heart" peaked at #5 on the singles charts. December 28, 2006
Multi-instrumentalist Edgar Winter is 60.
On this day in 1968, The Beatles' "White Album" hit #1 as The Doors released the song "Touch Me." On this day in 1979, The Who and the Pretenders headlined the third of Paul McCartney's Concerts for Kampuchea. On this day in 1983, Beach Boy Dennis Wilson drowned at the age of 39 after he dove into the ocean at Marina Del Rey. On this day in 1985, "Small Town" by John "Cougar" Mellencamp peaked at #6 on the singles charts. December 29, 2006
Bassist Ray Thomas of the Moody Blues is 65.
On this day in 1966, the Jimi Hendrix Experience made their first-ever TV appearance on the BBC's "Top of the Pops," performing their new single "Hey Joe." On this day in 1967, singer/guitarist Dave Mason left the recently formed Traffic, citing musical differences with group leader Steve Winwood. Within the year, Dave rejoined the band and then left once again. Hard to believe that upon Traffic's induction into the Rock &Amp; Roll Hall Of Fame 36 years later, Mason complained about not being included in performance. On this day in 1973, John Lennon's "Mind Games" peaked at #18 as Led Zeppelin's "D'yer Mak'er" topped out at #20 on the charts. On this day in 1975, Grace Slick divorced her Jefferson Airplane cohort Paul Kantner.  This Sunday night at 9 on 95.5 KLOS, The Best Of OFF THE RECORD 2006 will feature music and interviews with Steve Miller, David Coverdale of White Snake and Deep Purple fame, long-time Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick, and Def Leppard's Joe Elliot and Vivian Campbell.
New Year's FactoidsWho Started This?The celebration of the New Year is the oldest of all holidays. It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. That was one fun loving group! ResolutionsMaking a New Year's resolution is a tradition that dates back to the early Babylonians. While modern resolutions might include the promise to lose weight or quit smoking, the early Babylonian's most popular resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment. Maybe they weren't such a fun loving group. New Year BabyThe tradition of using a baby to signify the New Year began in Greece around 600 BC. It seems that the Grecians celebrated their god of wine, Dionysus, by parading a baby in a basket, representing the annual rebirth of that god as the spirit of fertility. Early Egyptians also used a baby as a symbol of rebirth, but the Greeks had better publicists. The SongThe song "Auld Lang Syne" is sung at the stroke of midnight to bring in the New Year in almost every English-speaking country in the world. Based on an old Scottish tune, "Auld Lang Syne" literally means "old long ago," or simply, "the good old days." The version we know was at least partially written by Robert Burns in the 1700's, and was first published in 1796 after Burns' death. December 30, 2006
Rock & Roll icon Bo Diddley is 78.
On this day in 1967, The Beatles hit #1 with the song "Hello Goodbye." On this day in 1968, Led Zeppelin performed at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. The resulting "Gonzaga '68" bootleg was the first ever made of the band, who later set a record for the most bootlegged performances ever. On this day in 1999, George Harrison and his wife were stabbed several times at their home in Henley-upon-Thames, England, by a crazed fan. Although one knife wound came perilously close to his heart, Harrison survived the attack. December 31, 2006
Police guitarist Andy Summers is 64.
On this day in 1961, The Pendletons performed their first gig under their new name, The Beach Boys, at the "Ritchie Valens Memorial Concert" in Long Beach. On this day in 1967, "Gimme Some Lovin'" by the Spencer Davis Group entered the U.S. singles charts. On this day in 1969, Jimi Hendrix unveiled his new group Band of Gypsys at New York's Fillmore East. The concert, featuring the rhythm section of Billy Cox and Buddy Miles, was later released as the album "Band of Gypsys." On this day in 1970, Paul McCartney filed a suit against John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison as The Beatles Co., effectively ending the band. On this day in 1973, AC/DC — consisting of guitarists Angus and Malcolm Young, Rob Bailey, Peter Clark and singer Dave Evans — made their debut at Sydney's Chequers Club. The gig went so well, the band recruited their roadie, Bon Scott, as their new singer. On this day in 1974, a document signed by all The Beatles confirmed the dissolution of their partnership. On this day in 1974, drummer Mick Fleetwood invited Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks to join Fleetwood Mac. Mick met the pair in Van Nuys where they were recording their second album as a duo. The Fleetwood Mac lineup had been changing continually since 1967 (as it still does today), but the inclusion of the two American singer/songwriters formed the most successful version of the group. On this day in 1984, Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen was critically injured in a car accident in England. His arm was amputated, but later learned to drum with foot pedals and is still playing with the band today. On this day in 1996, Paul McCartney was awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II. |
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