Category Archives: Music et al

Birthdays, Woodstock Music and Art Fair

Sha Na Na Henry Gross

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Sha Na Na Henry Gross

from henrygross.com
  • original member of Sha Na Na
  • youngest Woodstock alum
  • hit single “Shannon”
  • center of a profanity-laced Casey Kasem rant
Sha Na Na Henry Gross

Henry Gross

Sha Na Na Henry Gross
from the Henry Gross site

Henry Gross was born on April 1, 1951 in Brooklyn, NY. According to his site, “By age thirteen his first band, The Auroras, performed at The New Jersey pavilion of the Worlds’ Fair in New York City. At age fourteen he was playing regularly in local clubs all over the New York area and spending his summers playing at Catskill Mountain Resort hotels.”

When he was 18, Henry Gross helped form Sha Na Na.

Woodstock then solo

Sha Na Na’s successful appearance at the Woodstock Music and Art Fair launched their career. It also launched Henry Gross’s career as he went solo in 1970.

His first A&M album, “HENRY GROSS” (AKA “The Yellow Album”) sold very well and had several regional hits including “Simone,” “Come On Say It,” “Skin King” and a near gold cover of Lindisfarne’s European hit “Meet Me On The Corner.”

He also had success as a sessions guitarist on recordings by Dion and  Jim Croce.

Carl Wilson connection

In 1976, he released the song “Shannon.” It was written about the passing of Beach Boy Carl Wilson’s Irish Setter of the same name.

Casey Kasem rant

Nine years later a request for the song led to a now infamous tirade by Casey Kasem. On September 14, 1985 while recording his show, Kasem read a “Long-Distance Dedication” from a listener who asked Kasem to play the song “Shannon” because his dog Snuggles had died.

Kasem was upset that the dedication had segued out of the uptempo “Dare Me” by the Pointer Sisters. Here is that piece. Warning: this is a side of Casey you’ve likely not heard before. NSFW. You have to click to listen.

Keep the Dream Flowing

Henry Gross continues to perform and in 2022 released a new album, “In My Own Sweet time.”

 

On September 20, 2022, Henry was part of an interview with Donny York on the Keep the Dream Flowing podcast. Here is the link to part one of that interview.

Happy birthday Henry!

Music et al, Roots of rock, Today in history

Chuck Berry Johnny B Goode

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Chuck Berry Johnny B Goode

released March 31, 1958
Chuck Berry Johnny B Goode
45 rpm of Johnny B Goode

“Johnny B Goode was not Chuck Berry’s first hit. He had topped the R & B charts with his first single, “Maybellene”  in 1955.  “Roll Over Beethoven” (1956) hit #2; “Too Much Monkey Business” (1956) #4; “School Day (Ring! Ring! Goes the Bell)” #1 in 1957.

And in 1957 he’d already had a R & B #1 with “Sweet Little Sixteen.”

Chuck Berry Johnny B Goode

Johnny B Goode

Berry’s “Johnny B Goode” was mostly autobiographical, though he was actually born in St Louis, not deep down in Louisiana close to New New Orleans way back up in the woods among the evergreens. But his St Louis street address was 2520 Goode Avenue. Love that trivia.

It is a song about the American Dream. It is about hope. That talent will prove out.

His mother told him “Someday you will be a man,
And you will be the leader of a big old band.
Many people coming from miles around
To hear you play your music when the sun go down
Maybe someday your name will be in lights
Saying “Johnny B. Goode tonight.”

The song has become American icon covered by dozens of performers and with Chuck’s sad death on March 18, 2017 we must carry his torch.

The song is ranked as number seven on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of “the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Many write of the similarity of Johnny B Goode’s opening to Louis Jordan’s “Ain’t That Just Like a Woman.” You can decide.

Berry’s recording of the song was included on the Voyager Golden Record, attached to the Voyager spacecraft.

Keith Richards inducted Chuck Berry into the first Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on January 23, 1986.

His bio from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame sums up Chuck Berry’s contributions: 

While no individual can be said to have invented rock and roll, Berry arguably did more than anyone else to put the pieces together. As rock journalist Dave Marsh wrote, “Chuck Berry is to rock and roll what Louis Armstrong is to jazz.” On “Maybellene” – Berry’s first single, released in 1955 – he played country & western guitar licks over a base of rhythm & blues. The distorted sound of Berry’s guitar captured the rough, untamed spirit of rock and roll. The song included a brief but scorching solo built around his trademark double-string guitar licks. It kicked off Berry’s career in style and paved the way for a steady stream of classics over the next decade.

Berry died on March 18, 2017. (NYT obit)

Chuck Berry Johnny B Goode
Music et al, Music of the 60s

Chiffons Fine Harrison Sweet

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Chiffons Fine Harrison Sweet

He’s So Fine

Chiffons

Billboard #1 single March 30, 1963

Chiffons Fine Harrison Sweet

Chiffons Fine Harrison Sweet

Chiffons

Some songs are hits and that’s that. “He’s So Fine” by the Chiffons was a #1 hit and that was that for many years. We’ll get to many years in a moment.

The Chiffons were at first a three-girl group [Judy Craig, Patricia Bennett, and Barbara Lee].  All attended James Monroe High School in the Bronx, NYC.

Ronald Mack wrote the song, was familiar with the group, and felt that they, and at his suggestion the addition of Sylvia Peterson, would be an ideal match.

Bright-Tunes Corporation recorded the song. The Tokens, famously had the hit “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” in 1961, owned Bright-Tunes and performed the music.

Chiffons Fine Harrison Sweet

He’s So Fine

Mack could not find any label to release the song until Laurie Records enthusiastically said yes.

Laurie released the song in December 1962. On this date the song hit #1.

After that hit, the Chiffons went on to have other hits such as  “One Fine Day” [by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, King played piano on the song] and “Sweet Talking Guy.”

Chiffons Fine Harrison Sweet

Seven years later…

In 1970 George Harrison released the song “My Sweet Lord” his first single as a non-Beatle.  The song did very well. In fact that year the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified it  gold by the for sales of over 1 million copies.

Then Bright Tunes filed a suit against Harrison alleging copyright infringement of the late Ronnie Mack’s song “He’s So Fine.”

Aa drawn-out legal battle between Harrison and Bright Tunes followed,

In September 1976, the court found that Harrison had “subconsciously” copied”He’s So Fine.” Judge Richard Owen said in his conclusion to the proceedings:

Did Harrison deliberately use the music of He’s So Fine? I do not believe he did so deliberately. Nevertheless, it is clear that My Sweet Lord is the very same song as He’s So Fine with different words, and Harrison had access to He’s So Fine. This is, under the law, infringement of copyright, and is no less so even though subconsciously accomplished.

The Chiffons released their own cover of “My Sweet Lord” in 1975.  Harrison’s “This Song” [1976] is all about the argument.

Fine vs Sweet

 

Chiffons Fine Harrison Sweet