Allbutforgottenoldies.net Music News Digest: Week Of October 1, 2017

October 9, 2017 by Amy Gold

During the week of October 1, 2017, fans bade a final farewell to famed rocker Tom Petty and "Philly Sound" singer-songwriter Bunny Sigler.

Also that week, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its 2018 nominees, and fans are invited to cast their votes. Among the prospective inductees are such venerated oldies bands and artists as The J. Geils Band, The Meters, The Moody Blues, Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan, Nina Simone, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Link Wray, and The Zombies.

A 60th anniversary reissue of Little Richard's 1957 debut album will be coming out in November. Also that month, Paul McCartney will re-release eight of his albums from 1970-1983 on colored vinyl, with each album in a different color. A new compilation titled "The Rolling Stones -- On Air" will be coming out in December featuring live performances the band gave on the BBC from 1963-1965.

Also that week, HBO announced a new two-part documentary of Rolling Stone magazine to air on November 6 and 7, 2017, featuring rare archival footage of John Lennon, Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, and more.

Finally, Smokey Robinson launched a new holiday, Father Daughter Day, in partnership with AmericanGreetings.com, to be celebrated annually on the second Sunday in October beginning this year. Below is a clip of the Motown legend performing a new and customizable ecard version of his classic, "My Girl."

(For more information about the above-listed news items, please see below for a list of sources with links and article summaries.)

October 3, 2017: Tom Petty Passes Away

Famed rock musician, singer, and songwriter Tom Petty died unexpectedly at age 66 on October 2, 2017 at his home in Malibu after suffering cardiac arrest. The Gainesville, FL native formed his longtime backing band, The Heartbreakers in 1976, and their long string of hits included such classics as "Breakdown" (1977), "I Need To Know" (1978), "Listen To Her Heart" (1978), "Refugee" (1980), "Free Fallin'" (1989), and "Learning To Fly" (1991). In addition, Petty was a member of The Traveling Wilburys, a supergroup that also included George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, and Jeff Lynne.

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002, and they received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999. Petty's many other honors and accolades over the years also included an all-star tribute as the 2017 MusiCares Person of the Year.

Source: Tom Petty dead at 66

October 3, 2017: New Rolling Stone Magazine Documentary To Air On HBO

A new two-part documentary about Rolling Stone magazine will premiere on HBO November 6 and 7, 2017. Titled "Rolling Stone: Stories From The Edge," this movie, which delves into many aspects of the magazine's 50-year history, will feature rare archival footage of such top artists as John Lennon, Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, and Tina Turner.

Source: Rolling Stones, Springsteen & more to appear in new HBO doc celebrating "Rolling Stone" magazine's 50th anniversary

October 3, 2017: Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame 2018 Nominees Announced

The nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Class of 2018 have been announced and are given below. From October 5, 2017 through December 5, fans are invited to cast their votes. The final list of inductees will be announced in December.

Source: Class of 2018 Nominees | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

October 5, 2017: Little Richard To Reissue 1957 Debut Album

A 60th anniversary reissue of Little Richard's 1957 debut album will be coming out on November 3, 2017. Titled "Here's Little Richard (60th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)," this 2-disc set includes all the original album tracks plus several previously unreleased alternate takes and demos. Listed at #50 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, "Here's Little Richard" includes such classics as "Tutti-Frutti," "Long Tall Sally," "Rip It Up," and "Jenny, Jenny."

Source: Little Richard Reissues 1957 Debut LP With Demos, Unreleased Takes

October 6, 2017: New Rolling Stones BBC Compilation To Be Released

A new compilation titled "The Rolling Stones -- On Air" will be coming out on December 1, 2017 in various formats. This collection includes live performances the band gave on the BBC from 1963-1965 on a variety of programs. In addition to The Rolling Stones' many rock and roll, blues, and R&B covers, this compilation also includes early versions of such classics as (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" and "The Last Time," as well as several rare songs that have never appeared on any of the band's previous albums.

Source: New Rolling Stones' compilation "On Air" features the band's early BBC radio performances

October 6, 2017: Paul McCartney To Reissue Eight Albums On Colored Vinyl

Paul McCartney announced the upcoming re-release of eight of his albums from 1970-1983 on colored 180g vinyl, with each album in a different color. This set of limited-edition reissues, which is due out on November 12, 2017, includes the following albums (along with their corresponding years in which they were originally released and colors): "McCartney" (1970, red), "Ram" (1971, yellow), "Band On The Run" (1973, white), "Venus And Mars" (1975, red and yellow), "At The Speed Of Sound" (1976, orange), "McCartney II" (1980, clear), "Tug Of War" (1982, blue), and "Pipes Of Peace" (1983, silver). These albums are all included in McCartney's Archive Collection, a series of 16 of his solo and Wings albums remastered on CD in 1993, many with bonus tracks.

Source: The Paul McCartney Archive Collection: Eight titles to be re-released | PaulMcCartney.com

October 6, 2017: Bunny Sigler Passes Away

Famed singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Walter "Bunny" Sigler died on October 6, 2017 at age 76 of a heart attack at his home in Philadelphia, PA. With Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, he helped create the "Sound of Philadelphia," a genre of R&B/soul music that emerged during the early 1970s with elements of funk, pop, and big band featuring lush, horn-laden orchestral arrangements. He penned numerous songs and produced for such top artists as Carl Carlton, Patti LaBelle, Curtis Mayfield, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Jackie Moore, The O'Jays, Billy Paul, and Lou Rawls.

As a performing artist, Sigler had a string of hits on both the R&B and Pop/Rock charts from 1967-1979 that included "Let The Good Times Roll & Feel So Good)" (1967), "Tossin' And Turnin'" (1973), and "Let Me Party With You (Part 1) (Party, Party, Party)" (1978). Along with Gamble and Huff, he also performed background vocals on some of their songs, including Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes' smash hit, "If You Don't Know Me by Now."

Source: Bunny Sigler, who helped create 1970s Philly Sound, dies