22 Comments
Aug 9·edited Aug 9Liked by Brad Kyle

Julius La Rosa was the subject of one of the more bizarre events of 1950s TV. In 1954, he was singing on Arthur Godfrey's television program when Godfrey abruptly fired him on the air after a performance! ("And, that, ladies and gentlemen, was Julie's swan song...").

Expand full comment
author

Yeah, that's a vague memory I have from those coupla '60s occasions when he visited my folks at the house. Mom had mentioned, at some point, about that incident, but, as a pre-teen, I'm like, "Who, what, Arthur who?", but growing older, I pieced it all together!

Yet another show-biz "oh-what-mighta-been" story (usually started by an early, unfortunate death). In this case, how La Rosa's career might've proceeded had that abrupt event not tarnished his rep! Great voice, though!

Expand full comment

The firing had nothing to do with his singing- Godfrey was a raging egomaniac who hated being upstaged, and he fired anyone he felt was doing that to him.

Expand full comment
founding
Aug 11Liked by Brad Kyle

I loved this “remixed” version of the article! Such a great song. Each cover offers something different. While the Panda (Operation Panda? I’m terrible with names… the American gal+French gent duo) version offers an interesting take on the arrangement, I’ll have to vote for the Russian chaps. Their energy is contagious, and their technical brilliance is impressive. Hans (whom I knew about courtesy of the original article) would be a close second for me. How about YOU, Brad? Who do you pick?

Expand full comment
author

You're "terrible with names"? Oh, not me...my mind is like a steel trap in that department! Now, as for my favorite cover, Billy, I think I'll wait til closer to the end of the poll, so as not to influence others! But, that's what's so much fun about "Inside Tracks"---shining a spotlight on artists' different arrangements and sounds. Thanks so much, Timmy, for your nice words, and hope to see you soon!---Your pal, Ben.

Expand full comment
founding
Aug 11Liked by Brad Kyle

🤣🤣 Thank you, B… Br… Brian! Ah, so glad I remembered 😊

Expand full comment
author

😁👍

Expand full comment

Chicago must be 'in the air' because I put out a post about "Make Me Smile' yesterday. Great synchronicity! (It just came to me on Thursday night that I had to do Chicago.)

It was great fun to read about the background behind "Saturday in the Park." I didn't know how Robert Lamm came up with the song, nor where the Italian lyrics came from. As usual, you give us the goods and it's the kind of thing I like knowing.

Leonid and Friends are amazing. I think we're wanting the real thing -- bands performing and recording live -- which is one reason they are so popular (not to mention honoring the source material and having great musicianship).

Expand full comment
author

I saw your "Make Me Smile" post in my inbox, Ellen, and, like many others, it's waiting for me to grab some time to read! My inbox's #MusicStack e-mails are stacked up like planes over O'Hare.....where? Chicago, that toddlin' town!

I'm glad you liked the "Saturday" tune and covers....it all started with Matt Fish! When I started researching Lamm's song, I could never have dreamed a known singer that visited my house in the '60s would ever come up! There's no way that story of me meeting him as a kid would ever have gotten told on FR&B without that link to La Rosa's song in this Chicago song!

It was a brilliant value-add by Leonid & Friends to give us that split screen look on their vid!

Expand full comment

I hear you, Brad. As I mentioned on Friday, I can't keep up with the music posts, and I'm sure I don't subscribe to half the stacks you do.

It's great that personal stories and connections are coming up for you. It's my emotional connection to the music and artists that drives me. Otherwise, why would we be putting all this time into writing about music? (The political stacks get so many more paid subscribers, so I hear.)

Expand full comment
author

You got it! As for me (and, I'm guessing you, as well)....happy to be writing about music for metaphoric peanuts (and a couple real ones) than for "raking it in" raising my blood pressure in the calming spa-like vacation that is modern politics!

Just discovered this yesterday, Ellen, and I think you'll dig it....anxious to share it with you, anyway! Stephen Michael Schwartz finally has his '74 RCA album up on both Spotify and YT! It's a recent development (I'll have to ask him about it), as his one album was deleted from RCA's catalog in the '70s, pre-dating the early-'80s digital (CD) era. So, ostensibly, as his music was never digitized for CD, it also couldn't be streamed. Well, now it is!! I haven't even been able to share any of his RCA output on the articles I've written....just the song demo files he's sent me!

Anyway, here's his album on Spotify. He's got it on his YouTube channel, as well (all his children's albums, '80s and beyond are on both sites, also)! Enjoy! https://open.spotify.com/album/5gxVcKStKL0Ksfgu1XUzd0?si=QW7qP6yZSJqGMsawz8ovBg

Expand full comment

That is excellent news. Now you can replace those demos, as well as send people to stream his songs. I'm going to go listen to them now!

Expand full comment
author

Yep, and I can use 'em in Tune Tags!! Lemme know whatcha think!

Expand full comment

I didn't find it on YT but it's on his website here -- http://www.stephenmichaelschwartz.com/new-album

His voice reminds me a bit of Jim Croce on some songs, and he is clearly a very versatile songwriter. "Get It Up for Love" seems like a surefire funk/soul hit song. Can't understand why RCA would delete him from the catalog!!!

Expand full comment

I love "Saturday in the Park!" It reminds me so much of my childhood. Chicago was very big in our house. I loved the brassy sound and of course the irresistible hook!

Expand full comment
author
Aug 9·edited Aug 9Author

They were far more groundbreaking than rock history is giving them credit for! And, it only starts with the horns. The players were all top-notch, and the songwriting, too, as we've heard today!

Speaking of not-enough-credit....mad props to a Chicago native, producer James Guercio, who was hired as a Columbia Records staff producer, and proceeded to produce the Buckinghams' lineup of hits just before he tackled the Chicago Transit Authority, as he first named them.

The Buckinghams often used horns, as well, in their arrangements! And, if you guessed they were from Chicago.....you'd be right! Seeing a trend? A thread? A link? I wonder how influential Guercio was in those arranging decisions! Let's find out: Guercio produced the first dozen of Chicago's albums! Whatever you love about Chicago's recorded sound, I'd start by applauding the knob-twiddling of Jim Guercio! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_William_Guercio

And, know that The Buckinghams were Guercio's first act to produce at Columbia. He stair-stepped right to Blood, Sweat & Tears (another fairly horny band!), and then.....Chicago!

Here's Guercio's chronological production discography: https://www.discogs.com/artist/272811-James-William-Guercio?superFilter=Production

Here's The Buckinghams, synching to studio track (so you can hear Guercio's impact....he co-wrote the song, and arranged and produced) on a TV show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN4MTmgbGO8

The Buckinghams were the sonic seeds to Chicago. Chicago would've still been Chicago, but, now we can argue they'd not have sounded the same without Guercio, and they may not have had the string of hits (singles and FM album tracks) without him! May I? What George Martin was to The Beatles (guiding their recorded sound in every way we hear them on record) Guercio was to Chicago. 🎶Enjoy, Dan!🎶

Expand full comment

Interesting. I always knew the Buckinghams were also from Chicago but didn’t know iw about Guercio.

Expand full comment

Thanks for the shout-out here!

Expand full comment
author

Most welcome, Robert! Thanks for finding and sharing that "new" live! I'd-a never found it or thought to look! I love the reveal of "this is our first time playing it live!" Yeah! You, like just recorded it!! Great stuff!

Expand full comment