April 2023 – Gary Bennett Publishing

Neil Berg and his merry band of performers revive the psychedelic ’60s for a night

By Gary Bennett

This article appears in the April 20, 2023, edition of Frederick News-Post’s “72 Hours” magazine.

Relive the powerhouse music that shaped a generation with Neil Berg’s The 60’s: Peace, Love & Rock N’ Roll, rolling into Frederick’s Weinberg Center on April 21 at 8:00 pm. Tickets are still available.

Composer/producer/arranger/musician Neil Berg returns to Frederick with his new production that takes us on a musical trip to the stormy, counterculture 60’s. Berg and his talented troupe of musicians last wowed Frederick audiences in October 2021 with his show 50 Years of Rock N’ Roll.

In this new production, Berg recounts the 60’s through music and stories, culminating with a celebration of the historic Woodstock concert in 1969. If you didn’t make it to Woodstock like me (I was only 12) but remember all the wonderful music wafting down the hall from your big sister’s jukebox, you’ll not want to miss this rollicking evening.

Berg is privy to many behind-the-scenes stories from Woodstock due to his personal friendship with Michael Lang, the original organizer and producer of the iconic event.

“Michael brought me into his New York City office about 15 years ago to discuss the possibility of writing a Broadway musical about Woodstock—stories about unknown artists like Bert Sommer, who was in the Broadway musical Hair, and who was a solo artist at Woodstock and got the first standing ovation.”

That idea morphed into The 60’s: Peace, Love & Rock N’ Roll when Berg realized there are many more stories to tell and music to play that had nothing to do with Woodstock. Berg is not shy about sharing these tales.

Berg promises we’ll hear the story of Joni Mitchell’s song Woodstock, and her relationship to Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, who were famously playing only their second concert ever in public. We’ll learn about the famous bands that were invited to play, but did not. We’ll hear about Carlos Santana playing his entire Woodstock set tripping on LSD given to him by Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead.

And don’t forget the music! Berg and his merry band of Broadway performers will cover the music of Woodstock acts Richie Havens, Country Joe McDonald, The Band, Canned Heat, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jefferson Airplane, Santana, Sly and the Family Stone, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Joe Cocker. (Lineup is subject to change.)

A who’s who of 60’s rockers who did not perform at Woodstock will be covered too: Bob Dylan, Four Seasons, Beach Boys, Beatles, Rolling Stones, James Brown, Tom Jones, Aretha Franklin, Monkees, Neil Diamond, Cream, Mamas and the Papas, Otis Redding, Doors, Shirelles, Tina Turner, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Led Zeppelin and more.

For everyone who wanted to be at Woodstock but wasn’t, The 60’s: Peace, Love and Rock N’ Roll will make you feel like you are there.

Legendary band Three Dog Night at the Weinberg Center

By Gary Bennett

This article appears in the Frederick News Post’s “72 Hours” magazine, April 13, 2023.

Frederick welcomes another icon of ‘70s classic rock to the Weinberg Center when Three Dog Night visits on Sunday, April 16 at 6 pm. Along with recent visits from Gordon Lightfoot, The Temptations, Spinners and America, an evening of music from Three Dog Night promises to take we aging baby boomers back to our teens and 20s. Tickets are still available at https://weinbergcenter.org/.

Thinking back to the ‘70s, it seems that Three Dog Night was always on the radio. Their music didn’t have the hard-diving focus of other ‘70s rock bands like The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Black Sabbath or even Kiss. And they sure didn’t have the thoughtful lyrics and musicality of The Eagles, The Who, Chicago or Queen. They fit somewhere in the pleasant middle with other pop-oriented bands like The Guess Who and Doobie Brothers.

They were certainly commercially successful. From 1969 to 1974 they racked up 21 Billboard top 40 hits including three number ones. No other group was as successful during that span. If you came of age in the ‘70s and listened to the radio at all, chances are very good you will recognize most of Three Dog Night’s hits. Among the favorites sure to be played on April 16 are the three number ones: Mama Told Me Not to Come (#1 in 1970), Joy to the World (#1 in 1971) and Black and White (#1 in 1972).

Mama Told Me Not to Come tells the funny story of the strangest party “there could ever be.” Joy to the World is a simple song espousing the pure joy of being alive. It is known for its strange opening line “Jeremiah was a bullfrog.” Black and White is a socially-responsible song celebrating the end of racial segregation in schools.

Other top hits include my personal favorite Shambala (#3 in 1973), which uses a solid groove to tell the story of a mystical place where love and kindness abound, The Show Must Go On (#3 in 1974), An Old Fashioned Love Song (#4 in 1971), Easy to be Hard (#4 in 1969), One (#5 in 1969), Never Been to Spain (#5 in 1971), Liar (#7 in 1971) and Eli’s Coming (#10 in 1969).

One of the main appeals of Three Dog Night is that each of their songs sound so different. This is because, like the Beatles before them, they decided to feature all three lead singers pretty much equally among their songs. Lead singers Danny Hutton, Chuck Negron and Cory Wells (also the founders of Three Dog Night) had three very different voices and singing styles. Today, only Hutton remains. In 1985, Negron suffered a relapse into drug addiction and was fired from the group. Wells died in 2015 at age 74.

Unlike most of the rock bands of the ‘70s, Three Dog Night did not write their own songs. They left that work to others. This was not unusual in the music business prior to the arrival of the Beatles in the ‘60s. Instead, Three Dog Night became masters at picking out songs that were right for them and commercially appealing. They were responsible for introducing the world to many up and coming songwriters that are well known today: Randy Newman (Mama Told Me Not to Come), Paul Williams (An Old Fashioned Love Song), and Hoyt Axton (Joy to the World, Never Been to Spain).

There has always been some controversy on what Three Dog Night’s name actually means. Some believe Danny Hutton’s girlfriend suggested the name after reading about aboriginal Australians who on particularly cold nights slept with three dogs to keep warm instead of one or two. An arranger at Warner Brothers disputes this and says he came up with the name. Either way, the phrase has become part of the American lexicon to describe an especially cold night.

Hopefully, Danny Hutton will clear this up once and for all when he visits Frederick on April 6.

It’s time to create a county police dept.

By Gary Bennett

Sheriff Chuck Jenkins is interviewed by the Frederick News-Post after his successful 2018 election.

This article appears in the April 14, 2023, edition of the Frederick News-Post.

In 2021 the News-Post published my LTE extolling the virtues of creating a professional county police department to replace the political office of sheriff.

I felt at the time and still do that Frederick County has outgrown this outdated policing model and that it does not serve us well.

It wasn’t hard to come to this conclusion after listening to repeated political sniping from Sheriff Chuck Jenkins and his challenger and Jenkins’ ongoing railing against a majority of the county’s population, which he is sworn to protect.

I asked at the time “Do we really want elective politics playing a day-to-day role in professional law enforcement?”

Last week our sheriff was indicted on five counts of conspiring and making false statements to illegally acquire machine guns.

And what did Jenkins allegedly receive in return for helping his friend get those machine guns? Political support, of course.

I hate to say I told you so but this was not difficult to see coming. Sheriffs are all-powerful constitutional animals. They answer to virtually no one, that is, until they get caught.

It doesn’t have to be this way. We shouldn’t have our county’s top law enforcement officer constantly pandering to their political base, begging for money, pushing back against political enemies and looking for political favors.

It doesn’t matter that Jenkins is a Republican. I’m not naïve enough to think a democrat wouldn’t do the very same thing.

I have no idea if the charges will stick. It doesn’t matter. The damage has been done.

He is at least guilty of extremely poor judgement. How he can take his broken law and order persona into the office each day and look his deputies in the eye is beyond me. But then again, the shameless chutzpa so many politicians posses always surprises me.

While the Maryland Constitution requires each county to have a sheriff, state statutes allow counties and municipalities to form local police departments. This is the path Frederick County needs to start down. I realize this was not a priority for our new county executive or the citizens advising her, but we can’t delay. The time is now.

I call on the county council and county executive to begin studying the costs and benefits of creating a professional county police department.

Cuddle Up for Some Rainy Day Songs

By Gary Bennett

This article appears in the Frederick News Post’s 72 Hours magazine, April 13, 2023.

I love a rainy day, and just like Eddie Rabbitt, a rainy night even more. April showers that gently tap, tap, tap on your window pane is one of the great joys in life, and like most things, music makes it even better.

Here are my top 10 classic rainy-day songs that are sure to brighten your day, figuratively speaking, of course. Rain is a handy metaphor for lost love, hard times, and every now and then, surprising happiness. These songs don’t disappoint.

Can you add to this list?

10. Here Comes the Rain Again Eurythmics

Poppy, syncopated and wistful. Extra points for the beginning that brings to mind actual raindrops.

“Falling on my head like a memory, falling on my head like a new emotion.”

9. I Made It Through the Rain Barry Manilow

The king of syrupy pop writes movingly about tough times and how to overcome them.

“And found myself respected, by the others who, got rained on too, and made it through.”

8. Who’ll Stop the Rain CCR

First of two Credence Clearwater Revival classics about rain. How’d they do that? A true rocker with a cool groove.

“Long as I remember, rain been coming down, clouds of mystery pouring, confusion on the ground.”

7. It Never Rains in Southern California Albert Hammond

Achingly sad song about making a devastatingly poor life choice.

“Got onboard a westbound 747, didn’t think before deciding what to. Don’t tell ‘em how you found me, don’t tell ‘em how you found me, give me a break, give me a break.”

6. I Wish It Would Rain Down Phil Collins

A slow, moody and beautiful song about lost love that’s never coming back with the painful knowledge that you caused it.

“You said you didn’t need me in your life, I guess you were right.”

5. Rain Beatles

A cooler-than-you, slow jam love letter to actual precipitation by the greatest band of all time. Extra points for being an actual Beatles music video!

“I can show you, when it starts to rain, everything’s the same, I can show you.”

4. Rhythm of the Rain Cascades

A 60’s classic about lost love that starts with a bang — a thunderclap and actual rain. A happy tune that belies the subject.

“Listen to the rhythm of the falling rain, telling me just what a fool I’ve been.”

3. Rainy Days and Mondays Carpenters

This quintessentially sad rainy-day song is a painful cry for help from such a beautiful voice.

“What I’ve got they used to call the blues, nothing is really wrong, feeling like I don’t belong, walking around, some kind of lonely clown.”

2. Have You Ever Seen the Rain CCR

A cosmic metaphor for things that aren’t quite what they seem. Classic guitar work with John Fogarty lending his unmistakable whiskey-rock voice.

“Someone told me long ago, there’s a calm before the storm, I know, it’s been coming for some time.”

Rainy Night in Georgia Brook Benton

This obscure artist hit it out of the park in 1970 with this hauntingly beautiful, soulful ballad about nothing going right. The best rainy-day song ever, IMHO!

“Hoverin’ by my suitcase, trying to find a warm place to spend the night, heavy rain fallin’, seems I hear your voice callin’, and I think it’s raining all over the world.”