 December 21 - 31, 2007These 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, 2007
Frank Zappa would have been 67. 
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.  Unc's annual festival is going to rock on KLOS at 6pm and 9pm Christmas Eve! Three hours of your favorite Classic Rock & Roll Christmas songs, conversations, stories and rare Nuggets — songs from John Lennon, Boston, Bruce Springsteen, the Eagles, U2, Camp Freddy, The Black Crowes and Stevie Nicks, among many others. Check out this year's playlist!  This Sunday night at 9 on 95.5 KLOS, OFF THE RECORD with Joe Benson will feature a special Christmas show with rockin' Holiday music and interviews with Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, John Lennon, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Moody Blues, REO Speedwagon, Rush, Brian Setzer, Styx and the Trans Siberian Orchestra. 
On StageThe Brian Setzer Orchestra will be rockin' their Christmas Extravaganza for the first of two nights at the Gibson Amphitheatre tonight. Cleveland Validated (Sort Of)For the first time since 1997, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will return to the home of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009. As if dangling a carrot in front of the drooling masses, Hall Of Fame and Museum President/CEO Terry Stewart said that if the 2009 ceremony goes well, Cleveland may host an induction every three years. To clarify part of the problem with locations, the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Foundation, which is based in New York, produces the annual induction ceremony and administrates the admissions process. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a separate, private entity based in Cleveland. Andy Will Be Signing (Briefly)Andy Summers, celebrated photographer and renowned guitarist of The Police, will make his only Los Angeles public appearance January 8th at Amoeba Music on Sunset to sign copies of his new book: "I'll Be Watching You: Inside The Police 1980-1983." Two weeks later Mr. Summers will be half-way around the world in Sydney, Australia for the launch of the Blender Gallery exhibition of his photographs. And then he'll be jumping back on stage with Sting and Stewart Copeland to enjoy the ongoing Police reunion tour. Looks like 2008 is going to be a good one for Andy! Attorney Problems AboundWhile record producer Phil Spector is suing his former lawyer, Robert Shapiro, Heather Mills is about to engage in a court battle with her divorce lawyers. The attorneys are seeking nearly $4 million in unpaid bills that have built up over an 18-month period following her separation from Paul McCartney. According to England's "Daily Mail," the firm that represented Mills is scared that if she doesn't get much in the settlement, she'll only be able to pay off other debts, leaving the lawyers high and dry. Heather and Macca are due to return to court in the Spring, but her debts might give Paul the upper hand in the proceedings, and she might not get as much money from him as first expected. Another Collectable SlowhandA new Eric Clapton signature guitar will be unveiled next month at the NAMM music trade show in Anaheim. Clapton helped design the 000-42MEC acoustic model, which is made by C.F. Martin & Company. The guitar will be available in a natural or sunburst finish and will be limited to a run of no more than 250 instruments, each individually signed by Slowhand. And if you have to ask about the cost, you can't afford one. Lou Will SpeakLou Reed will serve as keynote speaker at the 2008 South By Southwest Music Conference & Film Festival in Austin. The March 13th speech will be accompanied by a screening of the new movie "Lou Reed's Berlin," which documents 2006 New York performances of Lou's legendary 1973 concept album, "Berlin." Reed's keynote will mark the opening of the music portion of the event. 
Winter!OK, so it's the first day of Winter. Have you even started your Christmas shopping? 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 22, 2007
Guitarist Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick is 60.
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. December 23, 2007
Original Jefferson Airplane guitarist Jorma Kaukonen is 67. Mott the Hoople guitarist Ariel Bender and Spooky Tooth guitarist Luther Grosvenor are both 58, and never, ever seen together. Hmmm... Guitar whiz Adrian Belew, who worked with Frank Zappa, David Bowie and King Crimson, is 58. Vocalist Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam is 43.
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, 2007
The mighty George Thorogood is 57.
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, 2007
Bassist Noel Redding of the Jimi Hendrix Experience would have been 62.
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, 2007
Uber Producer Phil Spector is 67.
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. December 27, 2007
Scotty Moore, guitarist for Elvis Presley on the early recordings that helped define Rock & Roll, is 76 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.
Note: J.B. is expected to return from a few days rest sometime next week. Best Best/Worst List Of '07Most Best/Worst Of The Year lists are self-serving B.S. issued by organizations looking for a quick publicity hit. But you have to agree that it's pretty hard to argue with About.com's Best and Worst of 2007 list. Good Sportsmanship: Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony for, "being gentlemen about being snubbed by their former Van Halen band mates." Worst Sportsmanship: Roger Waters for choosing to, "perform alone rather than with the other surviving Pink Floyd members at a tribute show in honor of the late Syd Barrett." Worst Case Of Imitating A Horse's Rear End: Lindsey Buckingham because he, "walked out an hour before a scheduled concert after a profanity-laced tantrum about the venue's sound system, proving that even former rock stars who aren't rock stars anymore can be really annoying prima donnas." Worst Concert Tour Finale: Meat Loaf, who while on tour in Europe abruptly ended his Halloween concert an hour into the show, spot-cancelled a few more dates, then scrapped the rest of the trek. Highest Educational Achievement: Queen guitarist Brian May, who earned his PhD in astrophysics. Shortest Tenure As A Lead Singer: Jeff Scott Soto, who was officially a member of Journey for six whole months. Least Likely Reunion: Led Zeppelin. Best New Music by a Classic Rocker: John Fogerty's "Revival." Best Album Reissue: "The Traveling Wilburys Collection." Best "Summer of Love" Release: "Love Is The Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets: 1965-1970." Romantics LoseThe Romantics' lawsuit against Activision Corp. over use of the band's 1980 hit "What I Like About You" in the video game Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s has been tossed out of court. A Detroit federal judge ruled last week that Activision did not infringe upon any copyright laws by putting a sound-alike recording of the song in the game. An attorney for the band said, "This is just the first inning. There's still a big game left." Sports cliches aside, you'd think that, if the band hadn't kicked the guy who wrote "What I Like About You" out of the group years ago, they might not be in this bind. Allman's Museum ComingThe Big House Foundation, an organization that's working toward opening an Allman Brothers Band Museum, has announced the purchase of the Macon, Georgia "Big House" where the iconic band rehearsed during its formative years. The Foundation also unveiled blueprints and room designs for the attraction, which it hopes to open in early 2009. A benefit concert will be held on January 19th in Macon to raise additional funds for the project. Steppenwolf UpdateSteppenwolf's John Kay has confirmed that his band, which completed a 40th anniversary farewell tour in early October, will not hit the road in 2008. John also said that his long-in-production biographical DVD, "John Kay & Steppenwolf — A Rock & Roll Odyssey," will be "released in the first few months of 2008." A nebulous target, but good to know just the same.
Quote Of The DayIt was Diane Kavelaras who said: "Good design should solve problems, not just decorate." Who Do You TrustA survey by Harris Interactive indicates that our New Year's resolutions are usually the same each year. The poll found that feeling disorganized coincides with the things we decide to change annually. Nearly 90% of adults feel disorganized at some point. Having an untidy home is the number one reason for feeling disorganized for nearly 60% of respondents. Other reasons include lateness in paying bills by over 40%, followed by forgetting meetings and appointments (39%). Not getting exercise is cited by 39%. December 28, 2007
Multi-instrumentalist Edgar Winter is 61.
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. Note: J.B. is expected to return from a few days rest sometime next week. This Sunday night at 9 on 95.5 KLOS, The Best Of OFF THE RECORD 2007 will feature music and interviews with Roger Daltrey, Def Leppard's Phil Collen & Vivian Campbell, John Fogerty, Stevie Nicks, The Scorpions, Bob Seger and Ann Wilson.
ReflectionsAs we approach the New Year, I thought I'd pass along 13 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 "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 29, 2007
Bassist Ray Thomas of the Moody Blues is 66.
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.
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, 2007
Rock & Roll icon Bo Diddley is 79.
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, 2007
Police guitarist Andy Summers is 65.
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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