July 21 - 31, 2009
These 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!
July 21, 2009
Yusuf Islam aka Cat Stevens is 61.
Comedian Robin Williams is 58.
Former Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers bassist Howie Epstein would have been 55.
On this day in 1979, Robert Palmer released "Bad Case Of Loving You" and The Knack's "My Sharona" entered the charts as "I Want You To Want Me" by Cheap Trick peaked at #7.
On this day in 1980, AC/DC's "Back In Black" album was released.
On this day in 1986, The Police began trying to record an album that they never came close to finishing. When Sting opted for his solo career instead of working with Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers, the trio released a greatest hits package and called it a day.
Hall Of A Party
Word is that a massive two-day celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will take place at Madison Square Garden. Among the performers being mentioned are Bruce Springsteen, U2, Simon & Garfunkel, Metallica, Eric Clapton, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and many others. Nothing official has been announced yet, but good luck finding a room in N.Y.C. on October 29th or 30th.
New/Old Stones
There's no new The Rolling Stones album coming soon, but "Jump Back: The Best Of The Rolling Stones" — one of their best of many greatest hits collections — will be re-released on August 18th. This new version of the compilation, which originally came out in 1993, will feature remastered versions of hits like "Brown Sugar" and "Start Me Up" as well as a 12-page illustrated booklet with comments and observations from Mick Jagger and Keith Richards about the 18 tracks on the album. Considering that Keith's comments will be written out in the booklet, we all stand a much better chance of understanding what he's talking about!
Another Wabo
Hold everything! Sammy Hagar's newest Cabo Wabo Cantina will open somewhere in the Las Vegas Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino this Fall! You may now return to your regularly scheduled life.
Foreigner's Latest
Foreigner will release their new three-disc "Can't Slow Down" collection exclusively through Wal-Mart on September 29th. The package will feature a CD containing 13 new songs, another CD of remixed versions of the band's greatest hits and a concert DVD shot earlier this year during the group's European tour.
It was Dave Barry who said: "You can only be young once. But you can always be immature."
It was Abraham Lincoln who said: "I like to see a man proud of a place in which he lives, and I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him."
Hot Town – Summer in the City
The intense heat will be with us for a few more days, so here's a warning. Children, older people and those engaged in heavy physical labor are most vulnerable to heat exhaustion or heat stroke. It's a lousy way to die.
Heat Exhaustion
Heat exhaustion is a less severe form of heat-related illness that occurs when the body is too hot. Symptoms include excessive thirst, profuse sweating, muscle cramps, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, uncoordinated movement, fatigue and fainting. The skin usually feels cold and clammy to the touch. If left untreated, heat exhaustion can progress to heat stroke, a more serious condition that can be fatal.
Heat Stroke
Heat stroke is the most serious form of heat-related illness. Symptoms include dizziness, confusion, combativeness, strong rapid pulse, dry skin or lack of sweating and possible delirium, unconsciousness or coma. Onset can be rapid, with progression to a life-threatening state within minutes. With heat stroke, the mechanisms for cooling the body simply shut down. The victims stop sweating, so their skin is dry; the blood vessels that are normally close to the skin constrict, not allowing blood flow to the skin, so there's less cooling. Their temperature rises to over 104 degrees, which can cause brain damage that interferes with breathing and circulation.
Thirsty?
If you are thirsty, you're already dehydrated. So, drink on!
July 22, 2009
Pianist/singer Rick Davies of Supertramp is 65.
Songwriter/singer/drummer/occasional Eagle Don Henley is 62.
On this day in 1967, The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love" entered the charts as The Doors hit #1 with "Light My Fire."
On this day in 1972, "Take It Easy" by the Eagles peaked at #12 as "Rock & Roll Part 2" by Gary Glitter entered the charts.
On this day in 1978, Bob Seger's "Still The Same" peaked at #4 as Bruce Springsteen's "Prove It All Night" topped out at #33 on the charts.
Pay Up/Shut Up At Last
Jackson Browne has settled with the Republican Party after the GOP used the singer’s “Running On Empty” in campaign television ads for presidential candidate John McCain. The singer/songwriter charged that McCain, the Republican National Committee and the Ohio Republican Party had used the tune without authorization, and that its usage falsely implied that Browne endorsed the candidate. Under law, the GOP needed a pair of licenses, one from Browne and one from Warner Music Group, before airing the commercials. In addition to never receiving the licenses, the Republicans never even asked permission to use the songs. After several unsuccessful attempts by the GOP to have the case dismissed, they reached a settlement out of court for an undisclosed amount of money and a public apology from all three of the three parties involved along with a pledge from them to "respect and uphold the rights of artists and to obtain permissions and/or licenses for copyrighted works where appropriate."
Bucks Up Touring
Despite the uncertain state of the economy, "Billboard" magazine's Top 25 Midyear Touring list is dominated by acts that first achieved success 25+ years ago, including AC/DC, Metallica and Iron Maiden. Other acts raking in the cash with less intense schedules include Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel & Elton John and Fleetwood Mac.
Thorogood Talking
George Thorogood will be dropping by the Guitar Center in Hollywood on Monday to talk about the evolution of the blues guitar, secrets behind his finger-picking and slide techniques, and stories from his distinguished career. George is the latest to take part in a free Guitar Center Session.
What A Kick
Sir Elton John will be honorary captain of the New England Patriots when they play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on October 25th in jolly old London. Seems that Sir Elty is good friends with Patriots owner Bob Kraft (you were expecting John Madden?)
Fogerty's Ready
John Fogerty finally has a record label and a release date for his brand new "The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again" album. The 12-track disc, consisting mostly of cover tunes that influenced the former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman, will be released on the Fortunate Son/Verve Forcast label on September 1st. The project includes contributions from Bruce Springsteen and the Eagles' Don Henley and Timothy B. Schmit.
It was Coach John Wooden who said: "It isn't what you do, but how you do it."
It was Erma Bombeck who said: "In general, my children refused to eat anything that hadn't danced on TV."
July 23, 2009
British movie star David "Rock On" Essex is 62.
Guitarist Blair Thornton of Bachman Turner Overdrive is 59.
Former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash is 44.
On this day in 1977, Foreigner released the song "Cold As Ice" as Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop" entered the charts.
On this day in 1977, Led Zeppelin's manager and drummer, Peter Grant and John Bonham, as well as three of their security guards were arrested in Oakland, California for severely beating three of promoter Bill Graham's employees after a concert in that city.
On this day in 1979, keyboard player Keith Godchaux of the Grateful Dead died of complications from head injuries suffered in a car accident two days earlier. Keith and his wife Donna had played with the Dead since 1972.
This Sunday morning at 7 on 95.5 KLOS, OFF THE RECORD with Joe Benson will feature the music of Cheap Trick and Joe's brand new conversation with guitarist Rick Nielsen.
Hall Of A Party For Sure
As predicted, there'll be two special concerts to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame on October 29th and 30th. The Madison Square Garden events will include performances by Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Crosby, Stills & Nash, U2, Simon & Garfunkel, Metallica and Eric Clapton, among others. Among the curators for the event are Tom Hanks, director Cameron Crowe and Robbie Robertson of The Band. All proceeds from the concerts will go toward a permanent endowment for the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Foundation & Museum. A book and deluxe DVD set — "The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame: The First 25 Years" will be out in September, and in August, Time Life will issue a nine-disc box set of highlights of the past induction ceremonies including never-before-seen footage. Now that's Rock & Roll marketing!
Metallica's Hometown Warm-Up
Metallica will be warming up for their world tour with a benefit show at the 2,000 seat Marin Veteran's Memorial Auditorium in San Rafael. The September 11th gig will kick off a Marin Rocks exhibit at the Marin History Museum. Three days after their hometown gig, the Hall Of Famers will launch their North American tour in Nashville. Right so!
Nikki Speaks Up
Up front let's make it clear that yer Uncle Joe conducted Motley Crüe's first radio interview ever, and — while I've never felt compelled to defend them — I've always enjoyed working with the boys in the band. As for the recent "Wall Street Journal" article saying bassist/group leader Nikki Sixx hates the Internet and iPhones — that's ridiculous. Nikki says, "It's always a struggle to get what YOU have to say and not what THEY want you to say in the press." He's of course "really proud" of Crüe Fest 2, which he thought was to be the focus of the "Journal" article, and he's proud that the Crüe was among the first artists to embrace the new technology and use Internet to connect with fans. Incidents like this with the "Wall Street Journal" puzzle him, though. "You just scratch your head and wonder, why would a guy do that. Worse, why would 'The Wall Street Journal' hire someone with such a small brain?" Probably just another former radio consultant, Nikki.
Brian Wants To Drive
You can't blame AC/DC singer Brian Johnson. Even though this is probably the Aussie band's last tour (and they'll most likely extend it into next Summer to rake in the cash), Brian admits that he'd rather be doing something else. "The years are flashing past and I don't wanna be sitting in hotel rooms. I wanna go racing again." Johnson actually discusses his passion for fast cars in his upcoming autobiography "Rockers & Rollers," which will be out in mid-October.
It was John Lennon who said: "There's a great woman behind every idiot."
It was Katherine Whitehorn who said: "The easiest way for your children to learn about money is for you not to have any."
Blood Drive!
The 28th Annual KLOS Blood Drive kicks off next week, and Uncle Joe will broadcast live from San Antonio Community Hospital at 999 San Bernardino Road in Upland on Thursday July 30th from 4pm - 9pm. Make an appointment (it's just in and out!) by calling 1-800-GIVE-LIFE or log onto 955klos.com. Last year's Blood Drive was a record breaker, and we're looking for more this time around! Here are a few fotos from years past.
July 24, 2009
On this day in 1971, "Wild Horses" by The Rolling Stones peaked at #28 on the charts.
On this day in 1976, "Take The Money And Run" by the Steve Miller Band peaked at #11 as Thin Lizzy's "The Boys Are Back In Town" topped out at #12 on the charts.
On this day in 1982, Fleetwood Mac's "Hold Me" peaked at #4 on the charts.
On this day in 1987, The Grateful Dead's "Touch Of Grey" entered the charts.
Rocking On Stage Sunday
George Thorogood & The Destroyers along with Jonny Lange (with Jim Ladd and Cynthia Fox co-hosting) will be rocking the KLOS show at the Greek Theater as Pat Benatar and Blondie hit the Pacific Amphitheatre with Uncle Joe.
Eddie's Hand
Word is that Eddie Van Halen is recovering nicely after undergoing hand surgery. Edward said that "During the last leg of our tour, I started developing pain in my thumb and my pinky... It got progressively worse to the point that about three months ago I wasn't able to play at all." Specialists in Düsseldorf, Germany discovered a bone spur, twisted tendon and a cyst in the joint of his left thumb, and recommended immediate surgery. Eddie said, "The surgery was a success, now I just have to let it heal. I am totally jazzed that they found the problem, fixed it and in about four months my hand will feel like I am 18 again. Thank God." His stitches come out in a few days and he fully expects to play at maximum intensity when he completes his recovery.
Selling That Sab Name
Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi has signed a deal with a newly launched production company to develop a horror-movie franchise using the band's name. The guitarist will write the score to the "Black Sabbath" series, which will not center around the iconic heavy-metal group. Ironically, before the band’s name was trademarked, Ozzy and the boys took their moniker from the 1963 Mario Bava horror film "Black Sabbath." And somewhere Sharon Osbourne is seething.
Aerosmith Getting It On
Aerosmith are playing at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday and after the show, the band will put on a party at the hotel's Studio 54, hosted by one Steven Tyler. Perhaps they'll be celebrating a full week's worth of performances without any band members hitting sick bay... or perhaps they'll be celebrating the use of their song "You Gotta Move," from 2008's "Honkin' on Bobo" album, as the theme song for World Wrestling Entertainment's upcoming SummerSlam event. That grapple-fest at the Staples Center will take place two days after Aerosmith's August 21st gig at that same venue.
Mysterious Hints
In the first hint of what they've been recording, Bluegrass superstar Alison Krauss says that her upcoming second collaborative album with Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant will be very different from their 2007 multi-platinum, GRAMMY-winning collection, "Raising Sand." She mysteriously reports that "It'll be... as if we hadn't made the first... I love being in the world of the unknown." As for working with Plant, young Alison says, "He's very passionate about music... That's a really infectious, wonderful thing to be around." She also says that the new Plant/Krauss LP will come out after her latest with her own band, Union Station.
Wasting No Time
Sorry girls. Just a month after Billy Joel separated from his wife Katie Lee Joel — the celebrity chef 32 years his junior — the 60-year-old piano man is in a romantic relationship with Alex Donnelley — former "Young & The Restless" soap opera actress who turns 50 next month.
It was Steven Wright who said: "24 hours in a day; 24 bottles in a case of beer. Coincidence? I think not."
It was Albert Einstein who said: "The only real valuable thing is intuition."
July 25, 2009
Drummer Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds is 66.
On this day in 1964, The Beatles' album "A Hard Day's Night hit #1 on the charts.
On this day in 1965, Bob Dylan went electric at the Newport Folk Festival and played a few tunes he had just recorded. Outraged folkies booed him off the stage and accused him of becoming a "sellout." There was so much to be outraged by in 1965.
On this day in 1966, The Rolling Stones played their last American concert with founding guitarist Brian Jones. Although Brian didn't really know where he was, San Francisco was the scene.
On this day in 1966, Eric Clapton played the lead guitar on his friend George Harrison's song "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." The song — a true classic — was eventually released on The Beatles "White Album."
On this day in 1969 at Bill Graham's Fillmore East, Neil Young appeared onstage with Crosby, Stills & Nash for the first time.
On this same day in 1969, Led Zeppelin played in Milwaukee at the cleverly named Midwest Rock Festival. Guitar god Eric Clapton, who performed with Blind Faith the next day, caught the set by fellow former-Yardbird guitarist Jimmy Page's new band. Eric's observation: "They were very loud. I thought it was unnecessarily loud. I liked some of it; I really did like some of it. But a lot of it was just too much. They overemphasized whatever point they were making, I thought." Being a member of Cream, E.C. evidently never saw the original "overemphasized" band.
On this day in 1970, Chicago released the song "25 Or 6 To 4" as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's "Teach Your Children" peaked at #16 and Neil Young & Crazy Horse's "Cinnamon Girl" topped out at #55 on the charts. Neil was a busy guy back in 1970.
On this day in 1981, Stevie Nicks released "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around."
July 26, 2009
Bugs Bunny is 69.
Mick Jagger is 66.
Drummer Roger Taylor of Queen is 60.
Van Halen III singer Gary Cherone is 48.
On this day in 1990, Brent Mydland became the third consecutive keyboardist to die while working with the Grateful Dead. He was 37.
July 27, 2009
On this day in 1974, Lynyrd Skynyrd released "Sweet Home Alabama," a response to Neil Young's dissing of their home state in the song "Southern Man."
On this day in 1976, after a four-year court battle, John Lennon received his green card and was granted permanent residency status in the States.
On this day in 1977, Led Zeppelin called off the remainder of their '77 North American Tour after Robert Plant's 6-year-old son Karac died of a respiratory ailment.
On this day in 2001, Lynyrd Skynyrd bassist Leon Wilkeson died of heart failure in his Florida home. He was 49.
Tix For Party In The Hall
If you want to attend the two-day Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Foundation 25th Anniversary Celebration concert event in Madison Square Garden, then you better get into today's special pre-sale for American Express credit card holders. Tickets for the October 29th and 30th gigs will go on sale to the general public (for a few minutes) on August 3rd. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Stevie Wonder and Simon & Garfunkel, among others, will perform on the first night. Eric Clapton will join U2 and Metallica (among others) for the second night.
Guitar Hero Hero
The Rolling Stones' "Sympathy For The Devil," John Mellencamp's "Hurts So Good," and David Bowie's "Fame" will all be included in the upcoming "Guitar Hero 5," due out on September 1st. Other great songs will include Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower," Deep Purple's "Woman From Tokyo," and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' "Runnin' Down a Dream." Live tracks from Jeff Beck and Santana will also be included. Rock on!
It was Dorothy Parker who said: "Brevity is the soul of lingerie."
It was Sandy Koufax who said: "Pitching is the art of instilling fear."
Blood Drive!
The 28th Annual KLOS Blood Drive kicks off at 19 American Red Cross Centers across Southern California this week, and Uncle Joe will broadcast live from San Antonio Community Hospital at 999 San Bernardino Road in Upland on Thursday July 30th. Make an appointment (then it's just in and out!) by calling 1-800-GIVE-LIFE or log onto 955klos.com. Last year's Blood Drive was a record breaker, and we're looking for more this time around! Here are a few fotos from years past.
July 28, 2009
Keyboardist Richard Wright of Pink Floyd would have been 66.
Blues guitarist Mike Bloomfield would have been 65.
Drummer Simon Kirke of Bad Company is 60.
Guitar god Steve Morse of Deep Purple is 55.
On this day in 1973, The Grateful Dead, The Band and the Allman Brothers Band played for some 600,000 at the world's largest rock festival at Watkins Glen Raceway in upstate New York. All the mud counteracted the nudity, and in May 1974, the birth rate barely showed an increase. Trust me, this was a good thing.
On this day in 1973, Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water" peaked at #4 as "Money" by Pink Floyd topped out at #13 and "Over The Hills And Far Away" by Led Zeppelin reached #51 on the charts. Grand Funk's "We're An American Band" also entered the singles chart, but it took the world a few more weeks to notice.
On this day in 1995, James Al Hendrix, the father of legendary rocker Jimi Hendrix, won back the rights to his son's name, likeness, image and music. In the two decades between Jimi's death and this decision, countless businesses made profits off of Jimi. Now, it's his family that's raking it in.
No Zep Games
As unbelievable as it may seem, you can forget about Led Zeppelin cashing in on the Rock Band video game phenomenon. Guitar god Jimmy Page says, "Obviously, there have been overtures made to Led Zeppelin, but if you start with the first track on the first album, 'Good Times Bad Times,' and you think of the drum part that John Bonham did there, how many drummers in the world can actually play that, let alone dabble on a Christmas morning? There could be a lot of alcohol consumed over Christmas, and you still aren't going to get it." Page, who began playing guitar at age 13, feels that people are far better off investing their time into trying out an actual musical instrument. Note that there was no mention of "money" in that statement.
Here Comes AC/DC
AC/DC kicks off their North American Summer tour tonight in Massachusetts. The Aussies second round through North America will wrap with a September 4th gig at Staples Center and a September 8th blow-out at the Honda Center in Anaheim. But wait — there's more! On August 11th, a "Back In Black" Collector's Edition Tin of their classic 1980 album will be unleashed. The limited-edition package will include the 2003 remastered version of the album and an official "Back In Black" t-shirt, all in a collectible "Back In Black" metal tin. Sure sounds special, doesn't it?
Mega Auction
Over 450 items once used by Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and The Rolling Stones, among others, are up for sale at http://gottahaverockandroll.com. In addition to the hundreds of rare artifacts and articles of iconic clothing, Hendrix's first recording contract — estimated to be worth around $1 million — and some erotic videotapes sent from Madonna to her former bodyguard are included in the auction. The online auction runs through August 5th.
Crashin' Plant
While the details are still vague, it seems that occasional Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant ran his Audi A-8 into a Mercedes, leaving the other driver with multiple injures. The July 2nd incident in London supposedly totaled Richard Grant's car, rendering him briefly unconscious. Turns out that the drug counselor for the charity Turning Point suffered whiplash and some severe bruises, and spent five hours in the hospital. Plant was uninjured and no one has been charged or (so far) been sued.
It was Ingrid Bergman who said: "Happiness is good health and a bad memory."
It was Robert Anthony who said: "The one who loves the least, controls the relationship."
July 29, 2009
Keyboardist Neil Doughty of REO Speedwagon is 63.
Bassist/singer Geddy Lee of Rush and
Singer Patti Scialfa (Mrs. Springsteen) are both 56.
On this day in 1966, Bob Dylan crashed his motorcycle in Woodstock, NY. The legendary accident (which many still don't think really happened) allowed Dylan to disappear from public life at the height of his popularity. He reportedly suffered a concussion, a broken neck vertebrae, and suffered from paralysis and mild amnesia for the next month. For the record, he was riding a Triumph 55 motorcycle, which in 1966 was one hot machine.
On this day in 1966, The Beatles' second film, "Help," premiered in London. The event created chaos by attracting thousands of excited fans to the location, and even Queen Elizabeth herself was in attendance. No, she didn't stand in line.
On this day in 1966, Cream kicked off their first tour with a concert in Manchester, England.
This Sunday morning at 7 on 95.5 KLOS, OFF THE RECORD with Joe Benson will feature the music of ZZ Top and more of Joe's in-depth conversation with guitarist Billy F. Gibbons.
Bruce Going For It
Word is that Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band will play the entire "Born To Run" album during their September 20th show in Chicago. The only other time they've done that was at a May 2008 benefit show in Red Bank, New Jersey. There are also unsubstantiated rumors that Bruce might do something similar ("Darkness On The Edge Of Town" is getting mentioned) during his five-night stand at New Jersey's Giants Stadium in September and October. But what about us here in SoCal?!?
Jack's Big Mouth
Cream bassist/singer Jack Bruce has never been known for a subtle way with words, but when he called Led Zeppelin "crap" and then declared that "Cream is 10 times the band Led Zeppelin is" at a British awards show last November, he forgot how YouTube and Twitter instantly spread words around the world. Now the ever cranky Mr. Bruce reports that "Some Led Zeppelin fans were really angry at me and I had a few death threats... It was like I had spoken out against the Queen or something." He claims "it was just a bit of fun [that] was blown all out of proportion," completely forgetting that his Cream bandmates — Ginger Baker and Eric Clapton — have personally threatened to kill him on numerous occasions!
Brian's Top Gear
AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson appeared on the latest episode of the hilarious "Top Gear" car-themed British TV series. In the program's "Star In A Reasonably Priced Car" racing segment, Brian was the second fastest celebrity racing around the show's test track in a crappy car.
It was Coach John Wooden who said: "Ability is a poor man's wealth."
It was Doug Larson who said: "If the English language made any sense, a catastrophe would be an apostrophe with fur."
July 30, 2009
Blues legend Buddy Guy is 73.
Jethro Tull bassist Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond is 53.
Eclectic songbird Kate Bush is 51.
On this day in 1966, "Wild Thing" by The Troggs hit #1 as Bob Dylan's "I Want You" peaked at #20 on the charts.
On this day in 1983, Talking Heads' "Burning Down The House" entered the singles chart.
On this day in 2003, Sam Phillips, the founder of Sun Records and the man credited with discovering Elvis Presley, died of respiratory failure in Memphis. He was 80.
On this day in 2003, the largest paid-admission concert in history came off without a hitch when over 450,000 fans gathered for the Molson Canadian Rocks For Toronto (SARS-stock) concert headlined by The Rolling Stones. The 11-hour show featured 15 acts, including AC/DC, The Guess Who and Rush.
Priest's Steel
Judas Priest's August 17th Hollywood, Florida concert will be filmed for a new DVD — part of the expanded 30th anniversary version of the group's "British Steel" album. The Priest are performing "Steel" in its entirety at all stops on their current North American tour, including this Saturday's show at the Gibson Amphitheatre.
Ewww!
It turns out that Phil Spector, who is incarcerated for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson, is actually housed next door to the prison where serial killer Charles Manson spends his time. Charlie even sent the famed producer a note welcoming him to the neighborhood! Spector's wife reports that her hubby thought it was "creepy" and did not respond. Phil told his publicist, "I used to pick up the phone and it was John Lennon or Celine Dion or Tina Turner, and now Charles Manson is trying to get a hold of me." Yikes!
Aerosmith
A survey of 2,000 British wedding videographers reports that Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" is the second most popular song choice for Brit newlywed's first dances. (Lonestar's "Amazed" was the #1 choice.) Bet you didn't know that the song's co-writer, Diane Warren, was inspired to write "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" after hearing James Brolin loved Barbra Streisand so much that he didn't want to go to sleep because he'd miss her. Aww...
It was Satchel Paige who said: "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?"
It was Winston Churchill who said: "The chief aim of wisdom is to enable one to bear with the stupidity of the ignorant."
Blood Drive!
The 28th Annual KLOS Blood Drive is rocking at 19 American Red Cross Centers across Southern California this week, and today Uncle Joe will broadcast live from San Antonio Community Hospital at 999 San Bernardino Road in Upland! Make an appointment (then it's just in and out!) by calling 1-800-GIVE-LIFE or log onto 955klos.com. Last year's Blood Drive was a record breaker, and we're looking for more this time around! Here are a few fotos from years past.
July 31, 2009
Singer/guitarist Bob Welch of Fleetwood Mac fame is 63.
Drummer Bill Berry of R.E.M. is 51.
On this day in 1965, The Yardbirds released the song "Heart Full of Soul," which featured Jeff Beck's groundbreaking guitar work.
On this day in 1971, James Taylor hit #1 with "You've Got A Friend" as Lee Michaels released "Do You Know What I Mean."
On this day in 1976, Blue Oyster Cult released "Don't Fear The Reaper" as Gary Wright's "Love Is Alive" hit #2 and "You're My Best Friend" by Queen peaked at #16 on the charts.
On this day in 1985, John Mellencamp released his classic "Scarecrow" album.
Who Book/Bookings
"The Twilight Of The Gods: My Adventures With The Who," a new book focusing on The Who during late drummer Keith Moon's final months, will be out next week. Written by film producer Tony Klinger, and details his experiences while working on the band's 1979 documentary, "The Kids Are Alright." In other news, Who singer Roger Daltrey has scheduled four U.S. concerts in October that may be part of a rumored 27-date solo tour.
Scary Halloween
The Moody Blues "Nights In White Satin" will appear on the soundtrack to "Halloween II," which is due out on August 25th — waaay before Halloween! The soundtrack album also will include Rod Stewart's "(I Know) I'm Losing You" and Foghat's "I Just Want To Make Love to You," as well as dialogue clips lifted from the movie. Written and directed by the ever scary Rob Zombie, "Halloween II" will hit theaters on August 28th.
Whiter Shade Of Lawsuits
Good Lord — the battle over "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" won't go away! Now former Procol Harum keyboard player Matthew Fisher has won some points in his appeal to gain royalties for the group's 1967 hit "A Whiter Shade Of Pale." The British House Of Lords handed down its ruling yesterday, saying Fisher was entitled to receive a share of the song's future earnings, but not the past royalties he was also seeking. The case dates back to Fisher's 2005 lawsuit against former bandmate Gary Brooker for back pay, future earnings, and control over the song's copyright. The initial High Court decision, in 2006, was in Fisher's favor, which Brooker successfully appealed last year.
Big Ol' Box O' Stones
The box set gathering together the 13 recently rereleased post-1970 Rolling Stones albums is now being sold exclusively at Amazon.com. A limited-edition poster of the group is also included. The special packaging also leaves room for the upcoming revamped edition of the 1972 classic double album, "Exile On Main Street," which is due out in early 2010. Rock & Roll!
Thought For The Weekend
No one ever says "It's only a game" when their team is winning.
Steve Miller In The O.C.
This Saturday: Unc will be hosting Steve Miller's concert at the Pacific Amphitheatre. Here's what it looked like last time they were in the O.C.!