Can-Con 45 Of The Day - October 6

[radiofan]

Today's Can-Con 45 is from 1979 ... Kenny Shields and Streetheart and "Here Comes The Night" ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JdO1lMi-fw

[Richard Skelly]

Streetheart had nothing to be ashamed of in their faithful to Them cover of the Bert Berns written Here Comes The Night. A most irascible chap, Mr. Berns also co-wrote many other hits such as Twist And Shout (the Isley Brothers and The Beatles).

I'd like to say Bert loved the 1979 Streetheart interpretation of 'Night'. Alas, he expired from a massive heart attack in late 1967. His widow, Ilene, fingered former Them vocalist Van Morrison as causing the stress preceding the heart attack. When she wasn't similarly fingering Neil Diamond as the stressor.

Both Morrison and Diamond were solo artist on Bert's BANG Records. Both chafed under Berns' micro management and lack of interest in some of their more groundbreaking original work. Van and Neil wanted artistic freedom or to be let out of their respective BANG contracts. After Bert's death, they got their wish.

Upon inheriting the label, widow Ilene Berns essentially traded Morrison and Diamond. Van went to Warner Bros. while Neil landed at UNI (later MCA). BANG kept masters including unreleased material. Scuttlebutt was that a percentage of sales from the first one or two albums and singles by the departed artists was remitted to BANG. Dismissed by industry types as nothing but a former go-go girl, Mrs. Berns proved a savvy businesswoman. (She died in February 2017 at age 73.)

Meanwhile, back in Paris, um, I mean Canada...plans are afoot for a series of Canadian tribute concerts to late Streetheart frontman Kenny Shields. Longtime band guitarist Jeff Neill and keyboardist Daryl Gutheil (he, an original member) are aboard. So is original bassist Ken 'Spider' Sinnaeve.

As for a lead vocalist...who knows? A few hours ago, I commented on Neill's Facebook page that Ian Lloyd, if interested, might be a worthy substitute for the deceased Mr. Shields. Ian, of course, had mid '70s acclaim as lead singer for Stories. Also a decent solo career afterwards. Now 71, he was fronting a Left Banke semi-reunion not that long ago. But could probably nail or approximate the high notes so distinctive of Stories and Streetheart songs.