Rockin’ Remnants
Rockin’ Remnants is broadcast from WVBR-FM Ithaca. Check out our webpage, like us on Facebook, and tune in to 93.5 FM or stream the show every Saturday night from 6-9 p.m. Eastern. (Or download the WVBR+app now available for iOS and Android.)
Thanks to our sponsors Island Health & Fitness and Rasa Spa for their support every week!
Date: April 13, 2024
Host: Gregory James
Feature: This Week in Rock History
Birthday Calendar
April 7
Janis Ian 73 years old
John Oates 76 years old
Patricia Bennett (Chiffons) 77 years old
Mongo Santamaria b. 1922
April 8
Mel Schacher (Grand Funk Railroad bassist) 73 years old
Leon Huff 82 years old
April 9
Gene Parsons 80 years old
April 10
Brian Setzer (Stray Cats) 65 years old
April 12
David Cassidy b. 1950 d. 2017
John Kay 80 years old
April 13
Al Green 78 years old
Lowell George b. 1945 d. 1979
Jack Casady (Jefferson Airplane) 80 years old
Lester Chambers 84 years old
Rock n’ Roll Trivia
What was Brian Jones’ stage name when he first met Mick Jagger and Keith Richards at the Ealing Jazz Club in West London in 1962?
(scroll down to find the answer below the playlist)
Playlist
* songs with * were requests
* all chart information comes from the Billboard Top 100 (for chart dates before/during July 1958) or Billboard Hot 100 (for subsequent dates) unless otherwise noted
* glossary of terms is below the playlist
* Rod Crouch’s blog “Inside the Rock Era” was the source for some of the information below.
6:00-7:00
OPENING THEME: Good Old Rock n’ Roll—Cat Mother and the All Night Newsboys (1969, #29, produced by Jimi Hendrix)
That’ll Be the Day Buddy Holly and the Crickets 1957 #1
April 7 1958: Alan Freed's "Big Beat Show," a concert at Memorial Hall in Canton, Ohio featured Buddy Holly and the Crickets, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, and the Chantels.
Paperback Writer Beatles 1966 #1
April 13 1966: Without any prior rehearsal, the Beatles began recording "Paperback Writer," developing the song over 6 1/2 hours.
Maybe The Chantels 1958 #15 H100
King Bee Rolling Stones 1964 NR
April 7 1962: Mick Jagger and Keith Richards met Brian Jones for the first time at the Ealing Jazz Club in West London. At the time, Jones was called Elmo Lewis. Jones played lead guitar on “King Bee.” off their first LP in 1964.
Twistin' The Night Away Sam Cooke 1962 #1 RB #9 H100
April 7 1962: Sam Cooke remained atop the R&B chart for a third week with "Twistin' The Night Away." The sax solo was by Jewell Grant
*Johnny Angel Shelley Fabares 1962 #1
April 7 1962: Shelley Fabares moved to #1 with "Johnny Angel." Darlene Love and the Blossoms were the backing singers. Requested by Barbara and dedicated to John Simon.
Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head B.J. Thomas 1970 #1
April 7, 1970: "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" (from the movie Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid ) won Best Original Song at the Academy Awards.
*Yakety Yak Coasters 1958 #1 RB #1 H100
Sax solo by King Curtis, Mike Stoller on piano.
The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia Vicki Lawrence 1973 #1
April 7, 1973 Vicki Lawrence topped the Hot 100 Singles chart with "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia". A Southern gothic pop song with a plot twist at the end.
Love Takes Time Orleans 1979 #11 Peak
April 7, 1979: Orleans had one of the hottest new songs on the radio with "Love Takes Time"
All Shook Up Elvis Presley 1957 #1
April 8 1957: Elvis occupied the #1 spot with "All Shook Up".
Kansas City Wilbert Harrison 1959 #1
April 8 1959: Wilbert Harrison released the single "Kansas City.” Just before the guitar solo by Jimmy Spruill, Harrison says a word that many people have interpreted as “mustang,” but I hear it as “muskrat.”
Where Did Our Love Go? Supremes 1964 #1
April 8 1964: The Supremes recorded "Where Did Our Love Go" for Motown. The record would become their first #1 hit. The sax solo was by Mike Terry.
I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You) Aretha Franklin 1967 #1 RB #9 H100
April 8 1967: Aretha Franklin had the #1 R&B song for the third week with "I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)." Cissy Houston and Aretha’s sisters Erma and Carolyn sang back up.
That Would Be Something Paul McCartney 1970 NR
April 9 1970: Paul McCartney quit the Beatles. The news was announced the following day. This was the first complete song McCartney recorded for his first solo album.
(You're My) Soul And Inspiration Righteous Brothers 1966 #1
April 9 1966: The Righteous Brothers began a three-week stay at #1 with "(You're My) Soul And Inspiration." You heard the “long” version of this track produced by Jack Nitzsche and Bill Medley
Let's Dance David Bowie 1983 #1
April 9 1983: David Bowie reached #1 on the U.K. Singles chart with "Let's Dance." The track featured guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan at the end, although David Bowie mimed the solo in the video.
7:00-8:00
Watermelon Man Mongo Santamaria 1963 #10 H100 #8 RB
This record is considered by some to be the beginning of the music genre known as Latin boogaloo.
He's So Fine Chiffons 1963 #1 (four weeks) H100
How Does It Feel to Be Back? Hall and Oates 1980 #30
John Oates wrote and sang lead on this track.
From Me to You Janis Ian 1975 NR
Truly an overlooked gem, with a chord progression that sounds a little like Blind Faith’s “Can’t Find My Way Home.”
Footstompin' Music Grand Funk Railroad 1972 #27
Before joining GFR, Mel Schacher was the bassist for Question Mark and the Mysterians.
Use Ta Be My Girl O’Jays 1978 #4H100 #1 RB
IMHO, one of the best compositions Gamble and Huff ever wrote.
Deportee Byrds 1969 NR
From the Byrds’ “Easy Rider” album, this is a Woody Guthrie song based on actual events.
Rev It Up and Go Stray Cats 1981
Brian Setzer wrote, sang and played lead guitar.
Magic Carpet Ride Steppenwolf 1968 #3
Apparently, the song is a testimonial to a new stereo system (the “sound machine” of the first verse) that John Kay had recently purchased.
Am I Losing You? Partridge Family 1972 #59
The instrumentation was by the Wrecking Crew.
Crown of Creation Jefferson Airplane 1968 #64
The lyrics were taken from a science fiction novel.
Trouble Little Feat 1972 NR
Not released as a single, but an acoustic hidden gem on Little Feat’s “Sailin’ Shoes” album.
L-O-V-E (Love) Al Green April 12 1975 #1 RB #13 H100
All Strung Out Over You Chambers Brothers 1966
The group recorded this song after Columbia Records rejected “Time Has Come Today.” After “All Strung Out” became a regional hit, they went back into the studio to re-record “Time Has Come Today.”
*What is Life? George Harrison 1971 #10
Harrison was accompanied by Eric Clapton and most of the Delaney and Bonnie band (which morphed into Derek and the Dominos). Requested by Scottie for Mecklenburg Peggy.
8:00-9:00
I'm Walkin’ Ricky Nelson 1957 #4
April 10 1957: For the first time on the television show The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Ricky Nelson sang "I'm Walking." Released in the same month as composer Fats Domino’s version, both versions reached #4. Joe Maphis played the guitar—Nelson had yet to team up with guitarist James Burton. In the video below, his youth, inexperience and nerves are on full display.
Splish Splash Bobby Darrin 1958 #3
April 10 1958: Bobby Darin recorded this at Atlantic Studios in New York City.
It's Not Unusual Tom Jones 1965 #10
April 10 1965: Tom Jones debuted on the U.S chart with his first career single.
I Heard It Through the Grapevine Marvin Gaye 1968 #1
April 10 1967: Marvin Gaye finished recording "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" after five sessions that began on February 3. There were two Funk Brothers playing drums, and it was Richard “Pistol” Allen who played the distinctive tom-tom hits.
Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) Temptations 1971 #1
April 10 1971: The Temptations finished a second week at #1 with their biggest hit. After several years of recording psychedelic soul songs, this was a return to their classic sound.
Baker Street Gerry Rafferty 1978 #2
April 10 1978: Gerry Rafferty released the single "Baker Street." Session musician Raphael Ravenscroft played the iconic solo on his alto sax which, he has said, was slightly out of tune.
Do You Believe In Love? Huey Lewis and the News 1982 #7
April 10, 1982: The first hit from Huey Lewis & the News broke into the top 10. A 2024 Broadway musical, The Heart of Rock and Roll, is inspired by Huey Lewis’ music.
Please, Please, Please James Brown and the Famous Flames 1956 #5
April 11 1956: James Brown made his debut on the R&B charts with "Please, Please, Please." Even if you have seen the video below, it is worth revisiting. The footwork of the Famous Flames is very sharp and reminiscent of the Temptations--except the Flames pre-dated the Temptations by five years!
Raindrops Dee Clark 1961 #2
April 12 1961: Dee Clark released the single "Raindrops" on Vee-Jay Records.
Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In 5th Dimension 1969 #1
April 12 1969: The 5th Dimension moved into the #1 position with the song that would spend six weeks topping the chart.
Jet Airliner Steve Miller Band 1977 #8
April 11, 1977: The Steve Miller Band released the single "Jet Airliner." You heard an alternate (and funkier) version from his “Welcome to the Vault” album.
Come Softly To Me Fleetwoods 1959 #1
April 13 1959: The Fleetwoods had the #1 song with "Come Softly To Me." You heard a stereo version starting with the left channel.
Walk On By Dionne Warwick 1964 #6
April 13 1964: Dionne Warwick released the single "Walk On By." The video below reveals Warwick's vocal prowess and phrasing in a live intimate setting.
Total Eclipse of the Heart Bonnie Tyler 1983 #1
This song jumped back onto the charts this week in 2024 because so many people streamed it for the recent total eclipse. Rory Dodd provided the second vocal.
We Are The World USA for Africa 1985 #1
April 13 1985: USA for Africa rose to #1 with "We Are The World"--and it would stay there for four weeks. Don’t miss the documentary “The Greatest Night in Pop” about its overnight marathon recording session.
CLOSING THEME: Sleep Walk – Santo and Johnny (1959, #1 for two weeks)
Trivia Answer
When Brian Jones first met Keith Richards and Mick Jagger in 1962, he called himself Elmo Lewis.
Congratulations to Mike from Ithaca’s West Hill for correctly answering the question and winning a pair of passes to Cinemapolis, downtown Ithaca’s home for first-run, international, independent and local films.
Glossary of Terms:
DNC = did not chart
NR = not released as a single at the time
H100 = Billboard Hot 100
RB = Billboard’s chart of rhythm and blues records
Host April 20, 2024: John Simon with a spotlight on Earth Day
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Thanks again to our sponsors Island Health & Fitness and Rasa Spa for their support every week!
