I have mentioned before that sometimes, people I write about on this blog write me back, like Rod Novak of King Harvest, Kurt Maloo of Double, Jack Blanchard and Misty Morgan, Denny and Diane Will from the Bells, and former Milwaukee DJ King Zbornik. This week, I heard from another. About a month ago, at WNEW.com, I wrote about impresario Don Kirshner, who co-owned the Brill Building publishing company Aldon Music and later created ABC’s In Concert and his own syndicated music show, Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert. I also mentioned that it seems odd that he isn’t in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This week, I heard from Kirshner’s assistant, who had come across the post and liked it, and is planning to show it to Kirshner himself.
That may not seem like a big deal to you, but it’s a big deal to me.
I haven’t linked to my WNEW.com stuff in a good long time, so here we go.
Rock 101: Otis Redding
Rock 101: Elvis in ’68
Rock 101: Lennon’s Last Live Gig
Rock 101: The White Album
This Week in Rock History: Cretinous Goons
This Week in Rock History: Stupid With a Flare Gun
This Week in Rock History: Hello and Farewell
This Week in Rock History: Without You
Founding Mother: Big Mama Thornton
Altamont: The Dark Flipside
Founding Father: Dick Clark
Founding Father: Alan Freed
This coming week at WNEW.com, I’ll discuss one of the strangest summit meetings in rock history. At this blog, we’ll celebrate Christmas with a Swede and a bunch of infidels.
I was surprised to discover on a visit to the Pavek Museum of Broadcasting in St. Louis Park, MN that the owner of the first station I worked at (WJON in St. Cloud, MN) was not in the museum’s Hall Of Fame. I put in a plug on the local radio message board, and he was voted in on the next ballot.
Let’s hope that you’ve planted the seed in getting the R&R Hall’s voters into action. Don definitely belongs. Does he get to sing at the induction ceremony, too?
Plan “B” won’t work. There doesn’t appear to be a Leisure Suit Hall of Fame yet.
Hey JB,
What are these people in Cleveland doing? Smokin too much ganja? Between Don Kirschner and Wolfman Jack, every fan in America got to see real rock bands in their living rooms for the first time on a regular basis. They deserve some recognition.
Don’s got our vote.
Very cool, JB (regarding Don Kirschner as well as the others)
I also think that someone needs to record a holiday album and title it “Christmas With A Swede And A Bunch Of Infidels.”
I remember it well. 1974, 15 years old, Saturday nights at 11:30PM. After the local news on the CBS affiliate, it was time for Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert. Definitely a part of all our lives.
Since I’m new to the forum, and may not be aware of prior posts, I wonder a question about King Harvest. Is there a CLEAN STEREO copy, sourced from tape, of “Dancing In The Moonlight”?
There’s a stereo copy you can buy from Napster, iTunes etc. that sounds like it was sourced from vinyl.
Since you’ve had contact with Rod Novak, I’d love to know the answer…