An All-Disco Ballot? Hear Me Out

With some of the comments being made recently, there's a actually a good supply of material to discuss, but with the NomCom's annual session looming nigh, I thought it'd be an interesting bait for discussion to throw this out.  Over the past couple years, fans and music industry insiders have shared a sense of surprise, be it serendipitous or chagrined, that Donna Summer hasn't gotten in the Hall Of Fame yet.  Now with her death, it almost seems a certainty that it will finally be her year, unless the ballot gets divided up with a Whitney Houston nomination, wherein the loyalties may split. 

However, the past failures to get Donna Summer in the Hall despite being on the four of the last five ballots only serve to magnify what seems to be an anti-disco bias in the voting bloc.  The BeeGees are in, as are periphery-of-disco acts Earth, Wind, And Fire and ABBA.  But beyond that, not so much.  So what, if  anything, should we do?  While the advocacy of all-disco ballot on my part is not entirely, and probably not even half, sincere, I also wouldn't be entirely opposed to it.  In fact, from a practical perspective, an all-disco ballot would actually be a pretty good idea for the following reasons:

1. It was a major musical movement in its own right.  The entirety of the 1970's is often referred as the "Disco era" despite the fact the widely regarded first true disco record wasn't released until 1974, and the movement continued into the early 80's.  But that says a lot right there.  The music of disco was huge, too huge to ignore, but for the most part, the Hall Of Fame's been trying to.  This is an oversight that needs rectifying.

2. It helped influence modern dance music.  While I'm not ignoring the influences of new-wave, Krautrock, post-punk, etc. or the importance of technological advances, the music of disco helped shape a main component of modern dance music, be it electronica, or the more mainstream combinations with hip-hop.  Its influence continues on, and that influence should be properly recognized.

3. The Nominating Committee wants it.  Okay, an overstatement here, but not far off the truth.  Two of the three most-nominated-but-still-not-inducted acts are Chic and Donna Summer, and between the two of them, they have ten nominations.  Add on to that the additional miss-out of Rufus with Chaka Khan this past year, plus the other disco and disco-periphery acts that have been brought up for consideration, there's a lot of love for it in the powers-that-be.  They might not want an "all-disco ballot" per se, but they have no problem nominating certain ones over and over again until they do get in.  There's plenty of precedent there.

4.  They could all probably fit onto one ballot.  How many disco (and periphery) acts could you make a serious argument for putting in the Hall?  We've already got Chic, Donna Summer, and Rufus with Chaka Khan as past nominees, plus the often danceable Philly-soul of the Spinners that isn't quite disco but goes nicely with it.  They've also previously considered the GAP Band, Barry White, Grace Jones, solo Chaka Khan, and the Commodores (again, not readily definable as disco, but could be part of the conversation).  And the sheer commercial success of acts such as KC And The Sunshine Band, Tavares, and Kool And The Gang make them factors too.  In my Vocal Hall Of Fame analysis, I also advised against discounting the possibility of the Whispers and Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes.  Throw in solo Diana Ross, probably also solo Lionel Richie, and as a bone to the disco crowd, Gloria Gaynor (who actually was a huge star on the disco charts in the '70s).  All total, that's 17 acts, a little larger than recent ballots.  Maybe you'd throw in one or two more (I wouldn't bring the Ohio Players or Trammps to the table, and Billy Preston's a little too far off for even the periphery of disco).  So if you whittle a few of the periphery artists off there, you've got what would probably be the entirety of the disco wing, alongside those already in, with the inclusion of some of the producers from that era too.  One shot, show it all there.

5. Once they're inducted, they'll never be nominated again.  Let's make it crystal clear... they could induct ever artist mentioned above, plus several less-deserving disco acts, and we still wouldn't be any closer to getting Deep Purple or King Crimson on the ballot.  As long as the NomCom doesn't want them on the ballot, they won't be.  Nonetheless, once an artist is inducted, their slot on the ballot and in the queues of NomCom members has to be filled.  It would never lead to a similar glut of classic/arena rock, '80s alternative, or anything else, but it may lead to tapping those places a little bit in the initial discussions, even if not onto the final ballot.  And that's still something.

6. It will shut up the race card drivers.  Predictably, there were cries of racism in the ranks when this year's inductees were announced.  Admittedly, this list did punch a couple holes in my previous arguments.  My response to them however, is simply to look at who did get in as a Performer: an act that everyone knew was going to make it, three acts that many, many people were surprised when they missed out on their previous nominations, plus an underdog that wasn't going to go away until she got in, and the dome-scratching joint nomination that now seems like a group of people the NomCom were bound and determined to put in at all costs.  So yeah, while they didn't get any Black artists in this past time around, getting Donovan, the Beastie Boys, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers in this time after surprisingly missing out before does act a little bit as a salve to that wound.  An all-disco ballot, however, would shut up those who claim racism for a good few years.  There are enough deserving Black acts to probably fill up a good five ballots or so, but an all-disco class (unless one of the inductees is KC And The Sunshine Band) will take the heat off the Hall, and keep that strawman locked away for a good while.

7. It will shut up the "Move forward already!" crowd.  While the Spinners and the Blue Notes did have hits in the '60s, every act mentioned really made it big in the '70s, and even into the early '80s.  While I personally feel there are many great acts from the '50s and '60s still missing from the Hall, a ballot without any prominent '60s presence will go a little distance with those who say not enough newer acts are getting noticed.  Granted, we already have those who want the doors shut on the '70s, but many more people, from all musical camps, see the '70s as a lode that has yet to be REALLY seriously mined.

8. Lots of rockers dabbled in disco (and its periphery).  Hey, remember "Miss You" by the Rolling Stones?  "December 1963 (Oh What A Night)" by the Four Seasons?  "I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do The Walking" by the Supremes?  "Catfish" by the Four Tops?  Even "Goodnight Tonight" by Paul McCartney?  Songs with disco overtones.  And let's not forget remixes that include "Here Comes The Night" by the Beach Boys, and even from never-to-make-the-Hall old school acts like Frankie Avalon and Bobby Rydell such as "Venus" and "Sway."  Fun fact, "Cover Me" by Bruce Springsteen also made the disco charts. 

9. Disco is part of rock'n'roll.  It just is.  It's a rhythmically driven music, and the beats of disco are quite similar to the beats of the rock'n'roll of the '60s.  Plus, put the guitar solo of "Hot Stuff" against that of just about any of your favorite classic rock songs.  Even if it doesn't always win out, the riffs from "Hot Stuff" put up a valiant fight each and every time.

So while we'll probably never see an all-disco ballot, there's also no reason to gripe when it appears on the ballot.  Let's not hide it.  Disco's part of the family.  Too bad Brenda Lee never recorded "Rockin' Around The Disco Ball."  Or maybe it's better that way.  Either way, it has a place in the Hall.

Vocally adrenalizing the Hall

First off, sorry about the Glee reference.  I’m not even sure I’m gonna continue watching next season, since their Continuity Department’s office is clearly the one with the crescent moon on the door.  Second, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame isn’t the only Hall Of Fame that I’ve kept track of.  It’s the only one that I do anymore, but until its closing up shop after their 2007 induction announcements, I kept tabs on the Vocal Group Hall Of Fame.  As the name indicates, it was all about the groups that, even if it wasn’t their prime asset, made excellent use of vocal harmonies as part of their music.  Unlike the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, there was no separation of categories like Early Influence and Performers, though they did make a point to induct a set number of inductees from decade-eras; and no arrangers or producers were ever inducted, so no Non-Performers, or Sidemen either. 

As with every Hall Of Fame, there are some no-brainers that were inducted within the first year or two: the Andrews Sisters, the Mills Brothers, the Revelers, and so on.  And there were some that can be considered real dome-scratchers, and I’ll let you decide for yourselves who those are.  But what is interesting is the amount of crossover between the Vocal Group Hall Of Fame and the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.  And also some of the inductees that are in the Vocal Hall that people are angry at the Rock Hall for snubbing for so long. 

As happens every year of late, when the nominees are announced, people are upset at the choices and someone invariably says something to the effect of “Are they just running out of ideas for worthy acts now?”  Well, all you have to do is look at the list of the 35 past nominees not in yet, as well as the more comprehensive list on the Future Rock Legends website of those who’ve been brought up at NomCom discussions of yore, and you see that the well is anything but dry.  Still, when compared with the Vocal Group Hall Of Fame, you get a pretty good-sized list of those artists that would make the list of crossover acts bigger and still pretty respectable, at the very least decent.  Looking at the ten years of Vocal Group Hall Of Fame inductions, we can see:

Class of 1998:

-Already also in the Rock Hall: the Beach Boys; Crosby, Stills, And Nash (the Rock Hall didn’t induct Neil Young in this effort, but the Vocal Hall did); the Drifters (the Vocal Hall separated the two eras and had two inductions in different years), the Orioles, the Platters, and the Supremes

-Maybe should also include: the Ravens have been considered one of the biggest omissions in the Early Influence category for sometime now, and to a lesser degree, the efforts of the Mills Brothers have garnered some discussion for the same category.  Both of these would make good-to-excellent Early Influence inductions.

Class of 1999:

-Already also in the Rock Hall: Hank Ballard And The Midnighters, the Coasters, the Four Seasons, the Four Tops, the Ink Spots, the Jackson Five, Little Anthony And The Imperials, the Moonglows, and the Temptations

-Maybe should also include: Peter, Paul, And Mary are one of those artists that most would agree don’t neatly fit into the category “rock’n’roll” or even “folk rock”, but most would agree that there’s probably also a well-deserved spot for them in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, so let’s add them to the list.  And don’t forget this past ballot’s miss-outs, the Spinners.  I was ecstatic about their nomination, and I’m fairly convinced that they’re gonna get in the next time they’re on the ballot, whenever that may be.

Class of 2000:

-Already also in the Rock Hall: the Drifters (the Ben E. King era, simultaneously inducted with the Clyde McPhatter era in 1988), the Flamingos, Frankie Lymon And The Teenagers, The Mamas And The Papas, and the Soul Stirrers.

-Maybe should also include: While Dion is in, the Belmonts are not.  I personally think Dion is absolutely deserving as a solo artist, as “Runaround Sue”, in my opinion, is constructed upon the quintessential rock’n’roll melody.  While there might be another special committee next year to bypass normal procedures to induct the Belmonts, I hope they don’t.  I think Dion should get a second induction with his former group.  This would be optimal, in my opinion.  Aside from them, I’d also recommend the Dixie Hummingbirds.  I don’t necessarily want to see every pre-rock gospel group get in as an Early Influence, but take one listen to “Bedside Of A Neighbor” and you’ll see that this one would make a prime Early Influence candidate.  Similar to Peter, Paul, And Mary; the Kingston Trio are another fairly non-rock folk group that many still believe has earned a spot in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.  Lastly, while not the most glaring omission, inducting Three Dog Night for their diverse line of good time rock’n’roll would not be the worst decision the Rock Hall could make.

Class of 2001:

-Already also in the Rock Hall: the BeeGees, the Eagles, Gladys Knight And The Pips, and the Miracles

-Maybe should also include: like the Class of 1998, the best choices are two potential candidates for the Early Influence category.  The Four Freshmen have been cited as an important influence by the likes of Brian Wilson, Bob Gaudio, and Levi Stubbs.  If the Ink Spots could get inducted in the Rock Hall as an Early Influence because vocal R&B groups of the ‘50s patterned their singing styles after the Ink Spots, there’s no reason to exclude the Four Freshmen.  With the special committee inductions that occurred this year, the most glaring, still uncorrected case of front man fever is now the Weavers.  The four of them all wrote together, were all stigmatized by McCarthyism, and helped give birth to the folk revival that helped spur folk-rock music in the ‘60s.  They should also probably be inducted in due course.

Class of 2002:

-Already also in the Rock Hall: ABBA, and the Shirelles

-Maybe should also include: the Chantels have been nominated twice and might get in eventually.  The Clovers should be inducted as a Performer, but after Wanda Jackson and Freddie King, it’s more likely they’ll get in as an Early Influence.  While never having been nominated, both the Five Keys and the Harptones are on the list of those who’ve been seriously considered, and could appear some year when you least expect them.  Lastly, with the psychedelic anthem of “Age Of Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In”. as well as a steady string of R&B/Pop crossover hits, it seems almost inevitable that the Fifth Dimension are going to make the cut one of these years.

Class of 2003:

-Already also in the Rock Hall: Earth, Wind, And Fire; the Impressions, the Isley Brothers, and Martha And The Vandellas

-Maybe should also include: The Commodores are one of the last Motown groups that ring of “classic Motown” and could be inducted, though it doesn’t seem like it’ll be anytime soon.  Danny And The Juniors is one I’d personally like to see, though I know there aren’t too many who agree with me.  Like the Commodores, the Five Satins have also been seriously considered in the past, and while I wouldn't ever vote for them, there are worse representatives for ‘70s and ‘80s R&B-dance music than the Whispers, so don’t write them off completely either.

Class of 2004:

-Already also in the Rock Hall: the Beatles, the Dells, the Everly Brothers, the O’Jays, and the Ronettes

-Maybe should also include: for classic rock fans, we have the Doobie Brothers, though the Michael MacDonald era is out of favor with them.  Meanwhile, I think the Jordanaires would make excellent inductees for the Sideman category, or Award For Musical Excellence if you will.  Meanwhile, the Miracles’ induction may finally make a few powers-that-be do a double take and say, “Wait, we haven’t gotten the Marvelettes in either?”  A truly important group right there.  The Stylistics would make a decent soul candidate down the line, eventually.  However, the stage in this year is most of all a cornucopia of doo-wop prospects.  For starters, the powerhouse group the Diamonds would make great representatives, as would my pet cause of the Tokens. If there’s a true one-hit wonder that still deserves Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction, it’s the Penguins, though I personally wouldn’t include them.  And it’d be a shame to never find some way to induct the incredibly talented Johnny Maestro, so I’d choose the Crests as the best avenue of finally honoring this man as well.

Class of 2005:

-Already also in the Rock Hall: Fleetwood Mac, the Rascals, and the Righteous Brothers

-Maybe should also include: let’s start with the girl groups.  The Crystals seem like an inevitability at this point, but may take a couple years while all the comments cutting them down to elevate Darlene Love’s case slowly fade from collective memory.  The Chiffons are also a decent-to-prime candidate.  Don’t forget the Pointer Sisters, either, who would well represent ‘70s and ‘80s dance music, once they finally induct Donna Summer.  Outside edge would be the Angels, who I personally wouldn’t induct, but may pop up anyway.  Beyond girl groups, we also have the Neville Brothers who recently joined the list of the seriously considered and is a favorite candidate of fellow Rock Hall Monitor Tom Lane.  My weak spot for  ‘70s soul wants to see the Chi-Lites get in eventually; and doo-wop has another great candidate in the form of the Del-Vikings, and another decent but possibly outside candidate of the Spaniels, who helped bring Vee-Jay records to its brief, but revered place in music history.

Class of 2006:

-Already also in the Rock Hall: the Byrds, the Hollies, the Lovin’ Spoonful, Queen, and Simon And Garfunkel

-Maybe should also include: the Dominoes have been nominated once before, and will probably get crammed into the Early Influence category, which wouldn’t be as bad a decision as putting Freddie King there, and would also make Clyde McPhatter and possibly Jackie Wilson the first candidates to get inducted in two different categories.  The Shangri-Las are another girl group that many would like to see in and have also been seriously considered by the NomCom as well.  Of course, the elephants in this room are that of Americana epitome band Journey, and even moreso the prog pioneers and much-longer snubbed group the Moody Blues.  Even some of the powers-that-be have admitted that the Moody Blues should probably be in, but just don’t like them enough to ever vote for them. Still, this is probably the biggest act that the Vocal Hall has over the Rock Hall at this point.

Class of 2007:

-Already also in the Rock Hall: Sam And Dave, and Sly And The Family Stone

-Maybe should also include: Kool And The Gang are an R&B outfit that aren’t a widely popular choice, but they’re not widely unpopular either.  They’d be a decent-to-respectable group to include.  With the recent death of Davy Jones, you can bet the Monkees are more than ever a group that folks want to see gets inducted.  And if “unquestionable musical excellence” is truly the ultimate measuring stick for a candidate’s merits for the Rock Hall, then on the heels of the Spinners should be Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes, who gave us some of the most amazing and flawless Philly soul.  While presently perceived as a tremendous long shot, that musical excellence criterion may also be used to justify the possible induction of the Traveling Wilburys, down the line…maybe at the end of the line (sorry).

So there we go.  Most of you probably don’t agree with most of what I said, but I’ll bet most of you have a few from my suggestions that you agree with as well.  As always, I look forward to your comments.  If you want to check it out further for yourself, the Vocal Group Hall Of Fame’s website is still up at http://www.vghf.org   Click on the “Inductees” link and put together a supplement if you think I ignored anybody important.  The nominees for the classes of 2008 and 2009 that never happened included a lot of good possibilities as well.

2012 and HBO: Better, but still room to improve.

My fellow Rock Hall follower, Tom Lane, has already discussed a few things about the ceremonies, that aired on HBO this past Saturday.  Trying not to duplicate anything he said, here are my thoughts on the televised presentation:

-The Crickets.... they were inducted too!  I saw absolutely no mention of them, their name not in gold letters like the others.... I'm guessing none of them even had any family members show up to the ceremonies.  If they did, you wouldn't know it.  Huge shame.  They did so much to at least give a little face time for all inductees, unlike last year which barely acknowledged the existences of Jac Holzman and Art Rupe.  And they completely omitted any and all mention of the Crickets.  This year, Robbie's speech for the engineers was actually really good (what we saw of it).  Btw, Tom: Robbie does have some connection to Glyn Johns, as he engineered some of the Band's records, including "The Shape I'm In."

-Small Faces/Faces:  I was actually looking forward to Little Steven's speech because I thought he would give some inside track or at least SOME justification for the joint nomination.  Nope.  He constantly referred to them as "both bands"... not even "both eras" or "both incarnations."  This is worsened by Jann S. Wenner's appearance on Paul Shaffer's radio program prior to the actual ceremonies, and when asked about it, he said, "It's like an evolved band... kind of like the Yardbirds-Cream-Led Zeppelin kind of thing."  Big problem with that Jann: the Yardbirds, Cream, and Led Zeppelin all got their separate inductions, in separate years ('92, '93, '95).  No one with power at the Hall, with one exception, has even given any decent defense of the joint nomination.  And even that one exception did backslide a little.  So it seems to me that it really is a case of "Captain, we'll never get them in separately, we've got to jam them together as one nomination and induction!"  You can audiate whichever Star Trek engineer's voice you want to say that phrase.  But that's what it was.  I'm disappointed.  I defended it, but now... whatever.  Just give Ian, Kenney, and Ronnie's family each a second trophy.  It's what you really wanted to do, but didn't think you could justify.  Just do it now and drop the pretense.  Maybe it seems that way because Steven's speech had to be edited for time, but I was disappointed.  If someone who was there can comment if the rest of the speech was like this, I'd appreciate it.

The rest of it is pretty much is standard disappointment that's inherent in whittling down a 5.5 hour ceremony to just over 2 hours of TV (even if commercial-free).  The speeches were boiled down intensely, so much so that Little Steven and Chris Rock didn't seem to be actually explaining the merits of their inductees.  Nor Smokey Robinson, really.  I'd have really loved to see his full speech.

Lemme state again.... we're hardcore fans, we want to see the full 5+ hours.  I understand it may not be ecomonically feasible, but try the best you can to make it happen.  Thanks.  If that's the best, then well, something ain't right.  I still maintain that 2008's almost fly-on-the-wall kind of presentation is still my favorite.  Great broadcast, that one was.

The Ego And How To Use It

So the inductions are passed, though we’re still waiting for the airing of the ceremonies.  As awesome as some of the speeches and performances are said to be (and here’s hoping HBO and whatever outside production company involved doesn’t chop it to ribbons), the real story surrounding the inductions remains the antics of Axl Rose and his letter to the Foundation refusing to show, refusing to accept that he’s been inducted, and refusing anyone to claim to speak on his behalf.  A lot of people rolled their eyes, many shook their heads.  Some held up Wile E. Coyote-styled signs with “DRAMA!” written on them.  Pretty much everyone figured it was a case of a rock star’s ego getting in the way, and that it was another tantrum, an attempt to up the ante as it were, from previous situations involving David Lee Roth, the Sex Pistols and others. 

To be completely fair, Axl’s letter did raise two salient points symbolized in his refusal: he felt that his current line-up of Guns N’ Roses was, in his opinion, also worthy to be included in the band’s induction along with Slash, Duff, and the others; also, by not showing up, he was preemptively shooting down any rumors of reunion with said previous members.  The latter is actually pretty sensible.  They’d hoped the same thing with the inductions of Talking Heads, the Police, and goodness knows whomever else; plus according to Axl, similar reunion rumors were alleged to have been instigated whenever two or more of the old lineup’s members were at the same venue at the same time.  So he’s pretty sick of having the murmurs teem, and the induction ceremony would be the grand petri dish for such rumors to multiply like bacteria.  Why let them flourish when you can take care of them before they even start?  The former point is primarily a matter of opinion; however, it does once again raise the issue of missing members, which was also an issue in the case of fellow inductees the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and to a lesser extent, the Beastie Boys (should long-time deejays be included?  Apparently not). 

But for the most part, it was just Axl being angry and petty.  Whatever his reasons, not showing up was the wrong way to go about addressing them.  Forgetting that induction is about the fans, the music, and the overall effect it has on all of us, Axl tried to make it all about the minutia of membership and the behind-the-scenes vitriol.  Axl could just have easily addressed both points by thanking his current lineup, whom he’s been with for a long time and will continue to perform with.  So why not do it with a little more class, like Metallica did when naming their overlooked influences, or the two members of Van Halen who showed up and were gracious despite Van Halen’s reputation as a band?  I suppose it’s because it’s Axl Rose we’re talking about.  And partially because it’s the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, too.  When you consider the Rolling Stones, Leadbelly, Phil Spector, and others, it appears the worse a scoundrel you are, the better they like you.  But even that doesn’t excuse or explain his actions.  Maybe he was trying to one-up the Sex Pistols by not only not showing up, but also asking to be omitted from induction.  But he failed for two reasons: one, other members showed up, whereas every Sex Pistol stayed away; two, in the case of the Sex Pistols, who at least had the veneer of being against anything even remotely resembling an establishment on principle, Guns N’ Roses never had that kind of image, at least not for very long.   Theirs was more of chaos than conscious rebellion.  Even in his letter, Axl says he doesn’t really get what the Hall is about.   And while this might be fitting for the case of not showing up, it’s still defeated by the fact that members did show up, as well as the statement that could be made with a bawdy display on stage, maybe through intoxication a la Neil Diamond.

Ultimately, it comes down to ego.  Axl didn’t want to be inducted unless it was done on his terms, with his current lineup included (I don’t think anyone is dumb enough to think they’d omit Slash), and only that lineup performing.  And again, while we can argue about which members belonged, we can all pretty much agree that ignoring his request to not be inducted was the right thing to do on the Foundation’s part, and that Axl’s letter only makes him look like a tantrum-throwing spoilsport, despite his follow-up letter that was a pseudo-apology and a quasi-clarification.

From these highly publicized antics, it’s easy to conclude the evils of ego.  And rightly so.  Left unchecked, it does an immense amount of harm.  But it should also be noted, having an ego is not an inherently bad thing.  Knowing one’s self-worth allows a performer to get optimally compensated according the economic principles of supply and demand, allows a performer to work with only the people and material they wish to, and allows them greater control over their career.  In fact, there’s supposedly a psychological condition called the “Elvis syndrome”, named after King of rock ‘n’ roll, which is the condition of not knowing how to handle fame.  Without ego, female performers like Billie Holiday, Joni Mitchell, and Aretha Franklin would have never been able to take a firm hold on their careers, or even their very performance styles.  Without ego, a moral code--that firm sense of right and wrong--would never manifest in the socially conscious songs of Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Bruce Springsteen, U2, and so many others.  While a lack of ego would probably have prevented the Beatles from breaking up, it was also a big part of what motivated Paul to write, which in turn occasionally lit a fire under John as well, resulting in some of their most revered works.

When I think of ego handled correctly, I think of another Hall Of Famer who also made headlines recently: Dick Clark.  The world’s oldest teenager departed from us this past month.  It’s sad to see such a huge piece of Americana leave us in person, but we are comforted to know that his obvious health struggles beleaguer him no more, and also by the fact that his legacy will never truly depart from us.  In rock ‘n’ roll, and in television, the man made an indelible mark on this country, and hopefully the world at large.  His sense of ego is part of what got the Doors to perform on American Bandstand when the group wasn’t thrilled about making any televised appearances (a favor owed to Clark by the Doors’ manager was the key factor, but to call in a favor to get something like that?  That’s pretty gutsy, you gotta admit).  It was that ego that helped him change the way that the concept of celebrity was viewed and shifted the whole representation business.  He was one of the first to really understand that celebrities themselves could be considered viable brand identities, and that led him to create himself as such a brand, one of the first to truly establish themselves that way. 

But he kept it in check in the right ways.  For instance, rather than using his majority shares to seat himself as his company’s president, he opted for someone else to do it, lest anyone ever think the company’s doings be a total manipulation on his part to suit himself and hurt others or the company at large in the long run… a lesson that was lost on some major companies within the past ten years.  And of course, he knew the responsibility of keeping his ego in check was critical to maintain his image, which was an intricate part of his brand, whether he was hosting a game show, a music program, or a New Year’s celebration in Times Square.  He’d seen scandal wreck the careers of celebrities who were supposed to be thriving on a clean-cut image, and worked to keep that from befalling him.

Was he a perfect man?  No.  I’m sure some of you are itching to expose the dirt in the comments section, and that’s fine.  No one’s infallible.  But by and large, Dick Clark knew his worth, but knew the limits of it, and if he wanted to break through those limits, he did it smartly, with common sense and good business sense.

On a personal note, Dick Clark is a professional role model for me.  As a teenager, I loved listening to his Rock, Roll, And Remember oldies program.  I think of his calm, easy, and immaculately executed delivery style; his ability to inject interesting trivia; his variety of songs that he played, and even his ability to joke casually but never crudely.  He was a major influence on my decision to get into the radio business.  Typing this, I also think of the credits, where he was never more than the host, despite having the clout and abilities to produce and direct the program.  An ego that’s there, but not overpowering.  When done right, it’s hard to know it’s there.  He was big, but not, for desperate want of a better phrase, too big for his britches.

So yeah, a main reason for writing this entry was to, in my own small way, say goodbye to a man I admired.  I also felt it incumbent upon me to have some take on Axl’s antics, and mainly to assure any and all readers that I haven’t dropped off the face of the earth.   But mainly, I wanted to say goodbye in my own way to a major role model for me.  While I’m not familiar with his personal life, I can still say pretty confidently we lost one of the good guys.  The man was rightly inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1993, and remained grateful to his friend and fellow inductee Dion for inducting him.  Rest in peace Dick Clark.  You meant more than just a great way to spend New Year’s Eve to a lot of people, myself included. 

Just to close now with one of his famous quotes that also helps partly explain why we who are Rock Hall Monitors, music lovers, and even sometimes simply rabid fans care like we do.

“Music is the soundtrack of our lives.”

Mid Season Report

The presenters for the Class of 2012’s induction ceremonies haven’t even been announced yet, let alone the actual induction ceremonies for the Class of 2012, let alone the airing on HBO of those ceremonies.  There are still six months to go before the Nominating Committee actually convenes to decide the ballot for the Class of 2013.  But that’s exactly the point.  It’s about the midway point of the year from the NomCom’s meeting.  Once the ceremonies have aired in their condensed version on HBO, Rock Hall Monitors from all over the blogosphere will finish their commenting on the ceremonies, the merits of the actual inductees, and who should have gotten in from the past ballots, and then thoughts will start turning towards trying to predict the ballot for next year’s class, assuming no one buys into the ancient Mayan calendar scenario.

With all that in mind, this particular entry is being typed in the interest of being a mid-season commentary, of sorts.  Shortly after the inductees for 2012 were announced, people were already laying predictions for the Class of 2013, but most of those were in the spirit of a “We’ll get them next year” comment one may have heard from a Brooklyn Dodgers’ fan back in the ‘40s or ‘50s, or from a Buffalo Bills’ fan in the ‘90s.  Now that the dust has more than settled, even following the announcements of the six additional Performer inductees chosen by special committee, it might be interesting to take a premature look at who might be on the ballot this autumn.  Note: this is not an attempt, to use the analogy, to make Christmas start earlier every year; rather, this is more of a “Christmas in July” kind of thing.  This is intentionally super-early for the purpose of tracking trains of thought, comparing what was believed back in March, against what will be believed by the time September rolls around.  As always, all are encouraged to post their own mid-season thoughts if they want their own written record to compare against come September.

As it stands now, perhaps the most obvious choice to be on the ballot for 2013’s class is Whitney Houston.  Her death earlier this year is reminiscent of the death of George Harrison.  It wasn’t until after his death that the movement to get his solo career recognized even began to amalgamate.  By the time George died, the ballot for 2002 was in progress, and it took another two ballots for George’s name to finally appear.  Whitney, however, has the advantage of having already been considered for nomination; that is, her name has already come up for serious contention at the NomCom’s discussion, but failed to actually culminate in a nomination.  This time, she could very well be a lock for nomination, and probably induction.  Sadly, this will not likely also apply to the Monkees, with  the recent death of Davy Jones, though there has been outpoured support from rock heroes.  The Monkees have just never been the critics’ choice, and critics make up a strong contingency of the NomCom.

With the currently, seemingly obvious selection of Houston, this year may be a year they give Donna Summer’s name a rest, after three consecutive failures to get in, four of the past five.  However, last year was a year off for Chic, who may very well be back for nomination number seven, with renewed effort.  With a healthy number of nominees (and inductees this time) being returning names, there may also be a good number of returned candidates.  To that end, it’s not a bad idea to pad the predictions with the likes Kiss, Bon Jovi, War, and even the Cure to once again represent the alternative scene.  There are a number of other possible repeat nominees as well.  With the upcoming wave of grunge artists that will begin in 2013, for the Class of 2014, this could be another year where the NomCom tries to cram in as many recurring favorites as possible.

With the Beastie Boys in, the rap artists most likely to be nominated are also two of the most prominent names on the list of the newly eligible.  They are, of course, Public Enemy and N.W.A.  Now that the Beastie Boys have proven that a rap artist can get in, despite having a second rap act on the ballot, it’s a safe guess that these two will be two of the next three that Touré will be pushing for, and it’s a good bet that they’ll both make it onto the ballot, too.  Sadly, with two big-name rap acts up for eligibility and the prominent possibility of Whitney Houston, soul music looks to get overlooked this time around, so probably no Spinners again, or Joe Tex for that matter. 

With grunge looming on the horizon, it may also be the last chance for a while to get Stevie Ray Vaughan And Double Trouble in.  The (Small) Faces gave the Hall two more Clyde McPhatter Clubbers in the forms of Rod Stewart and Ron Wood.  While Eric Burdon stands a chance of being included with an induction of the aforementioned War, it’s also possible that a group’s former lead singer’s solo career will get recognized as well.  There are a couple good possibilities out there, but this time the selection could very well be Peter Gabriel, much to the delight of one particular fellow Rock Hall Monitor.

With Touré already accounted for, it’s a good idea to figure out a couple other NomCom members.  Little Steven didn’t have any noticeable favorites on this most recent ballot, though he may have been part of the camp to put Heart, Laura Nyro, or Freddie King on.  Still, he doesn’t usually go too long without one of his causes on the ballot.  Furthermore, it recently came to light that ‘60s teen queen Lesley Gore has now made the same list of seriously considered artists that also includes Whitney Houston.  That name has Little Steven’s endorsement written all over it, and she stands a good chance to make it, to add another female name to the ballot.  Roy Trakin admitted to being at least one of the people who pushed to get Guns N’ Roses put on this past ballot, and by his own admission, another one of his pet causes is that of Daryl Hall And John Oates, wanting to give the oft criticized blue-eyed soul duo some proper recognition.  In 2008, Little Anthony And The Imperials made an appearance on “The Late Show With David Letterman”, and lo and behold, they made it onto the ballot for, and into the Hall in 2009, most likely courtesy of Paul Shaffer.  Only recently, Cher made it onto the Letterman show where David asked her about her not being insducted.  It’s very possible that that will stick out in the mind of Shaffer, and Sonny And Cher will find their way on the ballot by the end of September.

There’s also usually at least one noteworthy singer/songwriter on the ballot.  Now that Laura Nyro and Donovan have made it, it leaves the field pretty wide open.  Despite the possibilities from the early to mid ‘70s in this category, it might be a left turn back to the early ‘60s this time, which brings up Neil Sedaka as an interesting possibility.  Lastly, a left-field candidate, someone out of the blue.  This time around that predicted candidate will be Jan And Dean, a fun-time rock and roll duo that too often lingers in the shadow of the Beach Boys.  They may finally get their turn this time.

So there it is, a mid-season mental exercise.  By the time the meeting in late September occurs, it’ll be interesting to see where things stand and how we all feel then.  Until that time, feel free to add your own mid-season thoughts in the comments section.

Is the joint nom a-rockin'? Part 2

Prior to the announcement of the six additional Performer inductees, I had just finished part one of analyzing the joint nomination. Its application to the case of the Small Faces/Faces, or as I like to note them, (Small) Faces, essentially comes down to the idea that it really wasn’t a “joint nomination” at all, but really the nomination of one band with very noticeable and almost simultaneous personnel and name changes. That’s what I feel it ultimately was, and that’s how the Rock Hall put it in the biography of the (Small) Faces.

As I said in part one, the Rock Hall got it almost completely right. But it wasn’t merely an error in nomenclature that was made. The defense made by the powers-that-be was also pretty weak. Joel Peresman, in an interview, replied that it would have been too difficult to get either band inducted by itself, let alone both. That opinion was concurrent with what another high power said: “What do you figure the odds are that, having chosen one group or the other, we would succeed in getting both in within the lifetime of the currently living band members. I know my estimation of that likelihood.” Well, if getting them inducted during lifetime is of paramount importance, then why wasn’t it just Faces, since Steve Marriott, the only member in the Small version but not the later, died about the time his group even became eligible? For that matter, then why was Laura Nyro, who died over a decade before she was nominated for the first time, ever on the ballot, or Freddie King? Does this mean that Whitney Houston no longer has any chance? Heck, why not make “still alive” a criterion? Sure, we’d have no Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, etc. in the Hall, but hey, we’d probably have Kiss, Rush, and Deep Purple in by now, and might have gotten to Barry White, Billy Preston, or maybe even Laura Nyro before they all died:

The answer to that is obvious: because what’s important is the impact of the artist in question, not whether or not they’re still alive. This is, after all, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and Fame is the fourth of the six classic victors, the conquest and conqueror (albeit metaphorically) over Death. Naturally, it’d be nice if we could enshrine them all before death, especially since we don’t know for fact what lies on the other side, but metaphysics and eschatology isn’t the point: the point is that it’s more important to do it right than do it before rigor mortis. The Hall Of Fame did do it right, but they were rather weak and almost apologetic with their defense that it makes one wonder what other joint nominations might be coming. Will there be a nomination Free/Bad Company just to make sure we get Paul Rodgers in? How about Blues Project/Blood, Sweat, And Tears to ensure that Al Kooper gets his honors, or Crests/Brooklyn Bridge for Johnny Maestro? I know at least one person who’d hoped that 2010’s induction of Genesis would be a joint induction including the solo efforts of Peter Gabriel, Mike Rutherford, Steve Hackett, and Tony Banks (but not Phil Collins). And now that we’ve got a supposed joint induction involving (Small) Faces, we’ll probably see that spark of hope for that guy come alive again.

Or even more far-fetched, and just to have some fun with this, what’s to stop a joint nomination for Five Royales/Satins/Keys, since merit-worthy doo wop acts are apparently rather hard to come by? Or Procol Harum/Janet Jackson? Hey, they’re two acts that have a certain amount of merit, but right now seem unlikely for either one to get in, to quote Peresman, so why not? Okay, so we’re intentionally getting carried away, but the point is understood. Do it right; don’t just lump thinly (or not at all) connected acts together because “The Hall inducts five groups or individuals a year.” (Come again?)

With all that in mind, let’s take a more honest look at the joint nominations that we might actually see, should actually see, or might like to see.

-Rufus with Chaka Khan: How about one we’ve already seen? The commercial success of Rufus has landed almost entirely contingent upon Chaka’s participation in the group. But Chaka has had a very respectable solo career outside of the group. In all fairness, it’s not entirely certain whether or not this was a joint nomination. The suggested song list only contains Rufus songs, but the bio for their nomination began, “When Chaka sang ‘I’m Every Woman’,” which is a solo Khan song. Let’s hope they induct both the solo and the group in their proper turns. This shouldn’t be one joint induction.

-Joy Division/New Order(/The Other Two): Admittedly, I have no idea why this one shouldn’t happen. Joy Division resonated with the alternative scene until Ian Curtis committed suicide. New Order was Curtis’ former Joy Division bandmates, with the addition of Gillian Gilbert, with some pop success and much more success on the Dance charts through the ‘80s and ‘90s. (The Other Two being a side project for two of those four remaining members). Still, since neither Joy Division nor New Order are acts that I care enough for to learn the intricacies of the two incarnations’ styles, I’ll admit to not having enough information on this one; so, if someone would care to explain why this one should not happen as a joint nomination, I’m listening. Otherwise, I think this would be a good call. Just don’t include Monaco or Electronic.

-Wham!/George Michael: This is a pretty popular potential joint nomination, but for the life of me, I can’t understand why. Wham! on its own is at the very least as deserving as a couple of the names on this past ballot, and much more commercially successful than about a good third of them. George Michael’s solo career runs about the same kind of course that we’ve seen from other people who went solo after their group’s success, like Sting or Eric Clapton, except with much more commercial success. I’m not a big solo George Michael fan, and only really care for the upbeat songs from Wham! (Seriously, I hate “Careless Whisper”.) The duo had three notable albums, which may be part of the cause for folks wanting the joint nomination. Three albums may not be enough for some people to give an act enough merit for Hall Of Fame induction, although this argument falls flat with just two words: Sex Pistols. Still, I can’t help but wonder if those people who want a joint nomination and induction for what amounts to a viable pair of inductions do so because they don’t want to waste ballot space that should go to more prog, metal, and alternative acts. It probably doesn’t help that Joel Whitburn lumps the duo and the solo under same listing in his Top Singles books, although separately in his Top Albums book.

-Miami Sound Machine/Gloria Estefan: Another pairing that gets combined in all the Whiburn books, both singles and albums. This is one that has a very real chance of happening too. Like Rufus with Chaka Khan, a fair number of the Miami Sound Machine’s singles were credited to “Gloria Estefan And The Miami Sound Machine,” add to that the Miami Sound Machine only had two albums of note. Still, I don’t know if I’d actually want this one to happen for the simple fact that other than “Words Get In The Way”, the group’s records were generally upbeat, Latin-flavored, danceable songs, while except for “Get On Your Feet” and the covers of “Everlasting Love” and “Turn The Beat Around” solo Gloria’s work was usually Adult Contemporary love songs. I’d like it to remain separate, but two albums probably won’t be enough to get the Miami Sound Machine in apart from solo Gloria Estefan. In both this case and that of Wham!/George Michael, it seems that the group is the more worthy candidate, but the solo act has the sheer quantity of output to actually have the chance of being inducted. Still doesn’t mean they should be jointly nominated or inducted.

-The Crystals/The Blossoms: Okay, no one’s suggested this until now, but I think this one should actually happen. Let’s face it: the Blossoms and Darlene Love got shafted by Phil Spector and the ‘60s. The Blossoms were credited as the Crystals on a couple of their biggest records, and between the differing lead vocals of LaLa Brooks and Barbara Alston, I think of the Blossoms like the Five Crowns, who were forced to become the Drifters. The portrait of the Crystals isn’t complete or accurate without the songs that the Blossoms sang. Simply put, if they ever get nominated, nominate “the Crystals”, and list all the following as inducted members of the Crystals: Barbara Alston, Dee Dee Kennibrew, Mary Thomas, Patricia Wright, Myrna Gerrard, Frances Collins, Darlene Love, Fanita James, Gloria Jones, Grazia Nitsche, Annette Williams, Nanette Williams, Edna Wright. Since the Hall Of Fame has yet to induct a backing vocal group, and since the Blossoms were the Crystals for two important records, it’s really only fair that they get inducted as members of the Crystals. It’d be the just thing to do. And if you want to put one more nail in the Phil Spector coffin, give Bobby Sheen (Bob B. Soxx) an Award For Musical Excellence induction, too. No, I don’t think it’ll actually happen, just sayin’.

-The Cookies/The Rae-letts: I only bring this one up because that’s how they were inducted in the “Revisited & Projected “ fanfic project on the Future Rock Legends site. (They were “inducted” in the Sideman category.) The truth is, the two acts were quartets that only had only two members in common, and those two had left the Cookies to join the Rae-letts before the Cookies had their big hits of “Chains” and “Don’t Say Nothing Bad About My Baby”. Both groups would be excellent inductees for the Award For Musical Excellence, if and when the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame actually gets around to inducting back-up vocalists in this category. Nevertheless, it actually would not be a good idea to put these two in together as a single entity.

As we look at these six examples, half of them deal with combining a group and a lead singer that had a big solo career. These type of inductions might be popular for the same reason they’d be unpopular: they cut down on the potential members of the Clyde McPhatter Club: those who’ve been inducted multiple times (now joining: Rod Stewart and Ron Wood). While it’s fascinating to see the interconnected world of music via this phenomenon, it’s also somewhat reviled as a means to honor the powers’-that-be favorite people, cronyism of sorts, by giving them another induction when there are other, supposedly more deserving acts that haven’t gotten their first induction yet. However, I doubt it’d be despised so much were the shoe on the other foot. Fans of Joy Division are also usually fans of New Order and would love to see both inducted separately because the musical excellence of both, to them, is so unquestionable that inducting each one is a no-brainer to them. They, like the diehard Steve Marriott fans who hate the joint induction of the (Small) Faces, would say that once Curtis died, Joy Division ceased to be, he was irreplaceable, and the presence of Gillian Gilbert only accentuated further that the difference. Different person, different band. Again, I’m no expert on that/those band/s, so I’ll defer to one who does know better, but, to that extreme, you could just quote the old Greek philosopher (Heraclitus, I believe) who said, “No man steps into the same river twice, for it is not the same river, and he is not the same man.” Should we induct the Beatles a second time, the first being for their pre-Rubber Soul days (or Revolver, Sgt. Pepper’s, or whichever album best displays the major shift), and again for their Rubber Soul-onward days? Because those sounds were so drastically different, it may as well be. Or induct Stevie Wonder a second time for when he went funkier, or the Temptations a second time for the post-Ruffin era? If you’re going to cry cronyism this time, just remember to say you’d feel the same way if the situation were reversed, and that you’d always be against the multiple induction.

This however, flies in the face of the Rock Hall’s record. The majority of Clyde McPhatter Clubbers are former lead singers (or group members in general) that had a significant solo career of their own, even if the solo act was enshrined first. For those who support a small Hall, the Clyde McPhatter Club is the worst thing you can have, and the joint nomination is the best preventive measure. Nonetheless, there is just too much precedence to support this kind of thing as an ongoing trend. In short, don’t expect to see Culture Club/Boy George on the ballot anytime soon. Culture Club, maybe, but not combined with solo Boy George. And I doubt solo Boy George will get nominated either.

In conclusion, the joint nomination is not an entirely new concept, but the induction of the (Small) Faces has put a whole new twist on things, which judging by Peresman’s comments, the NomCom or other Foundation members may not have thought through and thus may not be prepared for. It can be used rightly, and it can be used very wrongly. Maybe we’d better put it on the shelf for awhile. Maybe we’d better not have another one on the ballot until there’s a strong majority amongst the NomCom that will support it more soundly. It’s a whole lot of maybes, either way you look at it.

And then there were six....more

Earlier this week, we were treated to the news that there are in fact going to be six more Performer inductees this year in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.  First off, I wanna give big props to Tom Lane for getting the scoop on it.  And for the cajones he writes with in his two unapologetic, post de facto blog entries.  Indeed it was a big thing.  Not just because they were inductees, but also because of who they are and what their inductions represent.  It represents the Hall's commitment to doing it right, which is always getting called into question whether it's because they don't nominate the acts that the people want most to see inducted, or because they induct a Performer nominee as an Early Influence, or because of the secretive process.  With these inductions, the Hall shows the integrity to both admit their mistakes and correct them.  It also means the curing of Front Man Fever, which I pointed out in great length (but maybe not enough, as I also forgot to mention the Rae-letts and Them), and maybe we'll see more of these in the future.  It's tough to tell sometimes.  We already saw one case being cured with the induction of the (Small) Faces, but the additions of these are certainly welcome.

But onto the actual good news of who's finally getting their dues: the Blue Caps, the Comets, the Crickets, the Famous Flames, the Midnighters, and the Miracles.  In an article about these six getting inducted, the author called it "the Rock Hall doing the right thing the wrong way."  I have to admit, that was my gut reaction to it, too.  But upon further reflection, is it really the wrong way to go about it? 

First, let's consider how they're getting inducted: as Performers.  Not Sidemen or Award For Musical Excellence, but Performers.  With the possible exception of the Famous Flames (and maybe the Blue Caps), this is absolutely the right call.  These were bands and groups that should have been included with the lead man's induction.  Second, the special committee version rather than the regular ballot.  Was it the right call?  With the possible exception of the Miracles, I would have to say absolutely yes again.  Putting these acts on the ballot next year would most likely result in dismal failure.  With the leads already inducted, there would undoubtedly be voters who felt the music and possibly the act overall already represented, perhaps symbolically with the lead, and thus didn't necessitate the rest of the group being inducted.  And since they should have been inducted with the lead in the first place, it was definitely the right decision, since putting them on a future ballot would only further serve to justify the original separations in the first place.  Lastly, it's because of who the inductees are.  Take a look:

-The Blue Caps: Gene Vincent was such a powerful frontman on the records that we can symapthize with the Hall inducting only him in 1998, but the backing rhythm section and backing vocals from the Blue Caps, added to the fact that they were always credited on the records, helped make Vincent the innovative name in rockabilly and rock'n'roll that he was.

-The Comets: Do I really need to elaborate on this one?  Just in case, YES.  Haley was a pioneer in terms of blending R&B and country together to make the sound of rock'n'roll, but in order to fine-tune that marriage, you need a band behind you to help make the sound a reality.  And with songs like "Rudy's Rock", and "The Saints Rock 'N' Roll" where Haley gives accolades to his band, there's no doubt how it should've been.  If Haley had been alive when he was inducted, I'm sure he'd have dedicated his induction to his band members, particularly to his sax player and longtime friend, Rudy Pompilli.

-The Crickets: File this one under forgivable, too.  The story of Buddy Holly's success as a rock'n'roll pioneer cannot be told without backing it against the context of his struggles with his record labels, Coral and Brunswick.  While the story varies, there's at least one telling that the Crickets only really came about because Holly couldn't have released "That'll Be The Day" under his own name via the label he wanted without landing in legal hot water, and Holly needed a band together to justify it, hence the formation of the Crickets.  Whatever the real story is, however, the Crickets were there through the thick of the heyday, and more importantly, on the majority of those records that make Holly's legacy live on.  If anything, this should have been the original joint nomination.  So a big yes for them getting in this way.

-The Famous Flames: Admittedly, I'm actually kind of on the fence with this one.  James Brown was the Godfather of Soul, not the Famous Flames as the Godfathers of Soul.  The Famous Flames were the backing vocal group, not the instrument players on the records, and since many of those records credited to James Brown and the Famous Flames didn't have any background vocals on them whatsoever, it makes their merit a little less impressive in my book.  They were there at the very beginning and helped Brown's career take off on important records like "Please, Please, Please" and "Try Me", so they probably should be in.  I would have chosen them as Award For Musical Excellence recipients, but either way, they're in, so it's a good thing.

-The Midnighters: For crying out loud, they were known as just "The Midnighters" before they were known as "Hank Ballard And The Midnighters."  Their presence was always there, Ballard's solo career is really more of a footnote of the group's legacy.  Unequivocally, yes to their inclusion.

-The Miracles: A thorny spot.  Unlike the other lead men (except Brown), the solo career of Smokey Robinson is very distinct in both terms of sound and duration.  Smokey's solo career has been a great success in its own right, and so, inducting him as a soloist isn't a bad call in itself.  It's only a bad call of sorts given that he hadn't really been performing as a soloist for 25 years before he was nominated and inducted.  His induction was pretty much based on his career as a Miracle, who were one the major powerhouse acts of Motown.  Of all six of the groups here, the Miracles are the only one I would have had go through the regular nominating process to secure their own induction.  And I think they'd have been a cinch to clinch, too.  Still, they're getting in.  So yay all around.

Which now brings us to other groups still not in with their lead.  I've pointed out how I feel about these six.  So what about others?  Should they get the special committee Performer induction?  Or something else?  For brevity's sake, I'm just going to break it up into categories and list which groups I believe belong in each, without going into excessive detail.

Since Early Influences are chosen by special committee, there's no scandal if a special committe inducts them
the Tympany Five, the Drifting Cowboys, the Hot Five/Seven, the Blue Grass Boys, the Weavers, the Benny Goodman Orchestra, the Blues Jumpers, Jelly Roll Morton's Red Hot Peppers, King Cole Trio, Charles Brown Trio, Teddy Wilson Orchestra, Billie Holiday's Orchestra

Performers who should get in via special committee
The Wailers, Miles Davis' Quintet

Performers that should go through the ballot process
The Belmonts (with Dion getting in a second time), Big Brother And The Holding Company (ditto for Joplin), the Valentinos (ditto with Womack), Them (second time for Morrison) the Blossoms (ditto with Love, but with special caveat that I'll address in a future blog)

Those that should be inducted in Sideman/Award For Musical Excellence
The Jordanaires, the Gliders, Crazy Horse, the Mothers Of Invention, the E Street Band, Wings, the Revolution, the New Power Generation, the Silver Bullet Band, Patti Smith's Group, Jeff Beck's Group, the Rae-letts/Cookies, DJ Hurricane (for the work with the Beastie Boys), the Tennessee Two

Not necessary to get around to at all
The Teen-Kings, Mary Ford, the Rhythmakers, the Broomdusters, the Flying Machine, the Plastic Ono Band


Just my thoughts on who goes where.  Lastly, I just want to say congratulations to all the groups finally getting in, and thank-you to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame people for correcting these injustices.

Oh, and P.S., I suspect that these six groups will be inducted with one speech like the songwriters were in 2010.  Since Vincent, Haley, Holly, Brown, and Ballard are all deceased, there's only one man I can think of who could rightly do the honors.  How about it Smokey?