Rich Appel is on the left with radio legend Harry Harrison
I met Rich Appel in the mid 1990s through the radio club Decalcomania. I met Rich in his office at Sony Music in midtown Manhattan as we talked about radio airchecks and then went out for dinner. Rich treated me to a ticket to see Bob Dylan at the Roseland Ballroom. That in itself makes him a good friend. I hadn't been in touch with Rich for a few years until I met him last November at the Oldies Meet and Greet at Ben's Deli on 38th Street. If you need more information about this event, Alan Berman will be more than happy to talk to you about it.
Rich, along with Tom Natoli, Mike Riccio, Don Tandler, and Bob Radil (please forgive me if I've omitted anyone) are known as the chart guys. These esteemed gentleman know more about surveys from WABC, WMCA, Billboard, Cashbox and other sources than anyone else. Back in the 1960s I religiously listened to those stations and copied and memorized them. As I got older I felt that if I liked a hit, I really didn't care how high or low it charted.
Rich and his buddies through the Oldies Message Board have a yearly survey of listeners' top oldies. You may click here to view the latest results. For the past two years Rich has a survey called It Really Should Have (IRS) . He surveyed the listeners to compile a list of songs that should have charted higher. Since he called it IRS it was aired on April 15 and 16 on Bob Radil's show on Rewound Radio on Saturday Night and completed on Rich's show on WRNJ - Hackettstown, NJ on Saturday Morning. Here are my votes. I stoped at 6. None of these made the chart:
So You Want to be a Rock N Roll Star - Byrds
You Baby - Turtles
Just Like a Woman - Bob Dylan
Hurt Yourself - Frankie Valli
When We Was Fab - George Harrison
Dangling Conversation - Simon and Garfunkel
Everyone who voted this year was entered in a contest. I was one the lucky ones. My prize is 4 CDs with the 104 songs that made the chart. The results are at http://74.89.142.211/60s70s/2011.htm . You will have to click on April 15.
Thank you Rich Appel. You have certainly earned the honor of being my Facebook Friend of the Day.
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