January 11, 2025 - JS - Debuting or Peaking in January

 

 

 

Rockin' Remnants




Rockin' Remnants is broadcast from WVBR-FM Ithaca. Check out our webpage, like us on Facebook, and tune in to 93.5 or stream the show every Saturday night from 6-9pm! (Or download the WVBR+ app now available for iOS and Android!)

 

Thanks to our sponsors at Island Health & Fitness and Rasa Spa for their support every week!

 

Date:  1/11/25

Host:  John Simon

Feature: Songs Debuting or Peaking in January

 

 I'll be back on the air after a few weeks away with tonight's edition of Rockin' Remnants. It'll be mostly records peaking or released in Januaries past, plus a short tribute to the late Sam Moore, some weather updates, some trivia and your requests. 6-9pm Eastern time, and everybody's welcome! 93.5 or streaming universally.

 

 

Playlist

 

 

·      YouTube links follow certain entries

·      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 chart dates during/after Aug 1958) unless otherwise noted

·      a glossary of terms is below the playlist

 

 

6-7pm 

 

OPENING THEME:  Good Old Rock ‘n’ Roll – Cat Mother & the All-Night Newsboys (1969, #29, produced by Jimi Hendrix)

 

Words – Bee Gees (1/20/68 > #5 – this was their fifth single in an eight-month period, and all of them went Top 20 here in The States. It’s also essentially a solo record for Barry Gibb, since his is the only vocal found on the recording – and it became his showcase number in concerts over the next many years.)

 

 

 

I Wish It Would Rain – Temptations (1/13/68 > #4 Pop, #1 R&B for three weeks – David Ruffin was at the top of his game, and the hits just kept on coming. Nobody could’ve imagined that he’d be completely out of the group in less than a year’s time.)

 

(Sitting On The) Dock of the Bay – Otis Redding (1/27/68 > #1 for four weeks – this was written in California shortly after Otis had stolen the show at the Monterey Pop Festival. It would also become the first posthumous #1 record in Billboard history, because Otis had died in a small plane crash on 12/27/67 – just one month before its release.)

 

 

Love Is Blue (L’Amour Est Bleu) – Paul Mauriat and his Orchestra (1/6/68; #99 > #1 for five weeks – this piece of music was Luxembourg’s pick for their entry into the Eurovision composition in 1967. Paul Mauriat’s recording became the first #1 record by a French act in Billboard history, and it was one of the biggest records of 1968.)

 

 

 

Zabadak – Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich (1/6/68 > #83 – here’s one that sounded like nothing that had come before! The reviewer for England’s New Music Express wrote “The basic influences are a blend between Afro-Cuban and Peruvian Incan. Add to this a catchy and continually-repeated chorus, some very attractive counter-harmonies, a pulsing beat with throbbing conga drums, and a lush string section in the background – plus a haunting tune that nags at the brain – and you've got a Hit.")

 

Oh Me Oh My (I’m a Fool for You Baby) – Lulu (1/3/70 > #22 – Lulu’s career started when she was a young teen with a booming voice, but she was starting to redefine her persona with a new sultry and mature sound. This one was recorded in Muscle Shoals with some of Atlantic’s best studio players.)

 

 

 

If You Could Read My Mind – Gordon Lightfoot (1/2/71 > #5 Pop, #1 in Canada – this was the Canadian troubadour’s first charting single in the US, and it was just the beginning of a long and fruitful string of hit records.)

 

Dreamboat Annie – Heart (1/77 > #42 – released as Heart's third charting single, this had originally been the B-side of "Crazy On You," clocking in at 2:02. The people at Mushroom Records tacked on Nancy Wilson's cool intro from Crazy On You and then added part of the longer LP version at the end to stretch a 2-minute song to 2:59. This version has never appeared on CD or LP.)

 

 

Gimme Some Lovin’ – Spencer Davis Group (12/31/66 > #7 – Steve Winwood joined the band at 14, playing alongside his older brother Muff. Three years later they were in dire need of new material, and he allegedly pulled this one together in about half an hour. He was 17 and getting ready to leave to form Traffic. Whoa!)

 

 

(We Ain’t Got) Nothin’ Yet – Blues Magoos (1/67; #5 – this blistering single on the Mercury Records label featured a relentless bass riff, a driving beat, a swirling organ sound and non-stop energy right out of the gate. It would be the band’s shining crowning glory, and it sounds just as exciting today as it did back then.)

 

Bend Me, Shape Me – American Breed (1/68; #5 – they were a Chicago group that managed to catch the ear of a producer who was just forming a new record label that was geared to spreading the emerging psychedelic sounds of the later Sixties. This record would be their highest charter, and they’d eventually go their separate ways – with several band members going on to form the Funk band called Rufus!)

 

 

 

*  Georgy Girl – The Seekers (12/66; #2 for two weeks – this one was a #1 record on NYC’s WABC, as well as on the Cashbox and Record World charts. It was also the very first current single that I’d ever purchased with my own money!)

 

 

*  El Paso – Marty Robbins (1/60; #1 for two weeks – this one had been released in the Fall of 1959, but spent the first two weeks of 1960 at #1. It’s also a song that the Grateful Dead has incorporated into their live shows over the years.)

 

*  Mama Tried – Merle Haggard & The Strangers (7/68; #1 C&W four weeks – this one actually never crossed over to the Pop chart, but it was his fourth consecutive #1 on the Country chart – and it’s another one that The Dead have incorporated into their setlists.)

 

 

 

7-8pm

 

 Birthday Calendar

 

 

January 6 – Wilbert Harrison – born 1929

 

 

January 7 – Eldee Young (RL Trio) – born 1936

            – Paul Revere (Raiders) – born in 1938

            – Kenny Loggins – age 77

 

 

 

January 8 – Elvis Presley – born 1935

            – Little Anthony Gourdine – age 85

     – Robby Kreiger (Doors) – age 79

 

 

January 9 – Joan Baez – age 84

            – Scott Walker (Walker Bros) – born 1943

            – Jimmy Page – age 81

            – Crystal Gayle – age 74

 

 

January 10 – Jim Croce – born 1943

            – Rod Stewart – age 80

            – Donald Fagen – age 77

 

 

 

 

Kansas City – Wilbert Harrison (5/59; #1 for two weeks – This one was written by Leiber & Stoller when they were both still in their teens, and has become one of the most-recorded songs of the era. Wilbert Harrison’s version was the most successful, riding that shuffle beat straight to the top of the charts.)

 

Hang On Sloopy – Ramsey Lewis Trio (11/65; #11 Pop, #6 R&B – this was the classic line-up of the trio, with Eldee Young on bass and Redd Holt on drums, and was one of a number of live versions of contemporary hits that Ramsey Lewis released as charting singles.)

 

 

Your Mama Don’t Dance – Loggins & Messina (11/72; #4 – Jim Messina had left Poco to become a record producer, and one of his first successful collaborations was with singer/songwriter Kenny Loggins. They officially became an act after the release of Kenny’s album “Sittin’ In,” and this song was the big hit from their next album.)

 

 

Him Or Me - What’s It Gonna Be? – Paul Revere & The Raiders, feat. Mark Lindsay (4/67; #5 – this one was released with a picture sleeve cover, and was recorded at the height of their touring popularity – to the point that The Wrecking Crew ended up playing on this record. Those guitar parts were played by the team of Ry Cooder and Glen Campbell!)

 

 

 

A Mess of Blues – Elvis Presley (7/60; #32 – this was actually the B-side of Elvis’ big #1 hit “It’s Now Or Never,” but it was respectable hit on its own. It’s also a prominent showcase for session players Floyd Cramer on piano and the background vocals of the Jordanaires.)

 

 

Hurt So Bad – Little Anthony & The Imperials (2/65; #10 – this one was released hot on the heels of “Goin’ Out of My Head,” and was one of four consecutive hit singles co-written by Teddy Randazzo. Two of them would later be covered by The Lettermen, and both would be Top 15 hits.)

 

 

Love Me Two Times – Doors (12/67; #25 – this one opens with Robby Kreiger’s guitar, which largely drives the record. There were only three instrumentalists in the band, but they covered all of the bases!)

 

 

45 Corner:  Whole Lotta Love – Led Zeppelin (11/69; #4 – this was the band’s only Top Ten hit, and tonight we hear the stereo single edit from a radio station promo 45. The LP version ran 5:33, and this version removes two minutes of extraneous psychedelic sounds, leaving Jimmy Page’s guitar the main event.)

 

 

The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore – Walker Brothers (4/66; #13 Billboard, #1 UK for four weeks – these American ex-pats couldn’t buy a hit until they relocated to England, and this cover of an obscure Frankie Valli single was their biggest hit here in The States.)

 

Let It Be – Joan Baez (11/71; #49 – Joan Baez changed with the times, and her repertoire was beginning to expand beyond the borders of pure “Folk music” and solo guitar accompaniment. This was from her twelfth and final album for the Vanguard label and was recorded in Nashville with a crack bunch of studio musicians. Tonight we hear the scratchy 45 version.)

 

 

Half the Way – Crystal Gayle (9/79; #15 Pop, #2 C&W for two weeks – she was the youngest sibling of Country star Loretta Lynn, but decided to branch out in a Pop direction and ended up becoming one of the most successful “crossover” artists of the era.)

 

This Magic Moment – Jay & The Americans (12/68; #6 – this record marked the beginning of a renaissance for Jay & the boys, as they mined the Oldies catalogs for new material. The tie-in this week is that future Steely Dan founders Walter Becker and Donald Fagen had signed on to be musical directors for Jay & The Americans. The horn and string arrangements here were done by Fagen and Becker!)

 

 

It Doesn’t Have to Be That Way – Jim Croce (1/74; #64 – this has started to become a perennial holiday classic, but it’s not a Christmas record per se. Jim Croce had died in a plane crash several months prior, but Lifesong Records continued to release his material after his passing. Lately, his son A.J. has been keeping his flame alive.)

 

 

Reason to Believe – Rod Stewart (7/71; #62 – this Tim Hardin song had been designated as the lead single from Rod’s Every Picture Tells a Story LP, but DJs started to play the B-side more and more. That one was Rod’s composition called “Maggie May!” The album is practically a greatest hits collection at this point.)

 

 

 

 

 

8-9pm

 

*  Happy – Rolling Stones (7/72; #22 – the Stones had famously fled to France to record their newest album, which was the drug-fueled Exile On Main Street. This is the single pulled from the double album, and has the distinction of being the only Stones’ only single to feature Keith and not Mick on lead vocals.)

 

 

Apricot Brandy – Rhinoceros (1/69 > #46 – we return to our theme of records released in January, and tonight we hear the rare radio station promo 45 version of this punchy instrumental on Elektra Records – one of my prized possessions!)

 

 

Baby Baby Don’t Cry – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles (1/4/69 > #8 Pop, #3 R&B – this is a rare one with an extended spoken intro by Smokey, on one of their longest singles to date. After years of hearing the CD versions, which all run a few seconds longer, it was great to discover that the 45 faded just before the chorus starts again. That had always been a pet peeve of mine!)

 

 

You’re So Vain – Carly Simon (1/72; #1 on this date – this is one of a string of great records produced and arranged by the late Richard Perry. He passed away at age 82 on December 24^th, and the NYT obituary called him the “Record Producer with the Magic Touch,” producing records for artists ranging from Tiny Tim to Captain Beefheart and Nilsson to the Pointer Sisters. One small coup here was getting Mick Jagger to join in on the choruses.)

 

 

I Thank You – Sam & Dave (1/27/68 > #9 Pop, #3 R&B – word had just come in the night before that Sam Moore passed away at the age of 89 on Friday. My on-air obit was “Mr. Moore was born and raised on a side street, where he learned how to love before he could eat. Educated at Woodstock, once he started loving he just couldn’t stop.” I also brought in my scratchy old 45 to play in tribute.)

 

 

Everybody Is a Star – Sly & The Family Stone (1/3/70 – this one was released during the short period where Billboard didn’t list A-sides and B-sides separately, so this B-side of “Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin” was technically a #1 hit. Record World, though, ranked it at #40.)

 

 

She’s a Lady – John Sebastian (1/4/69 > #84 – having tired of the band scene, the Lovin’ Spoonful frontman branched out on his own. This was the debut single from his first LP and it ran all of 1 minute and 45 seconds. Several years later, I’d borrow part of the chord progression for my very first original composition.)

 

*  Puff the Magic Dragon – Peter, Paul & Mary (3/63; #2 – this is one of the most famous songs ever written in Ithaca, NY, which a number of famous musicians including Harry Chapin, Huey Lewis and Bobby Comstock called home at various times. Peter Yarrow passed away on January 7^th at the age of 86 and left behind a large body of work. This one goes out by popular demand.)

 

 

Lightnin’ Strikes – Lou Christie (12/25/65 > #1 – this was the falsetto singer’s biggest hit, and the background chorus included a couple of The Angels. It would reach the top of the chart in mid-February, and it remains a signature sound of the era.)

 

 

Love Is Here and Now You’re Gone – The Supremes (1/28/67 > #1 – this one would reach the top of the chart in early March, and was the first Motown single that featured Diana’s spoken interludes mixed with her lead vocals.)

 

 

Forever in Blue Jeans – Neil Diamond (1/27/79 > #20 – this one is criminally absent on Oldies radio, but it’s one of a slew of terrific Neil Diamond singles. Most CD versions lack the sonic punch of the original 45 version that we hear tonight.)

 

 

Always & Forever - Heatwave (1/7/78 > #18 Pop, #2 R&B – speaking of “single versions,” this 3 ½ minute slice of heaven was edited down from a 6+ minute album track. Heatwave was a European Funk band with a couple of American servicemen on vocals. Founding member and keyboardist Rod Temperton would eventually go on to become a writer of a bunch of Michael Jackson songs!)

 

CLOSING THEME:  Sleepwalk – Santo & Johnny (1959, #1 for two weeks)

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary of Terms:

dnc = did not chart

nr = not released as a single at the time

AC = Billboard’s chart for “Adult Contemporary” records

BB = Billboard Magazine, which publishes the Hot 100 chart (previously known as the Top 100), along with several other charts

Bubbling Under = songs that were ranked but fell below the top 100

C&W = Billboard’s chart for “Country & Western” records

R&B = Billboard’s chart for “Rhythm & Blues” records

RRHOF = Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

RS500 = Rolling Stone Magazine’s ranked list of the top 500 singles of all-time

 

 

 

 

Host Next Week (1/18/25):  Kim Vaughan with a spotlight on mid-January 1966

 

 

 

Thanks for tuning in - and for voting us Ithaca's Best Local Radio Show in the most recent Ithaca Times Readers' Poll! You can listen to Rockin' Remnants every Saturday night from 6-9pm on WVBR (93.5 FM in Ithaca, NY) or at wvbr.com/listen.

 

Thanks, too, to our sponsors Island Health & Fitness and Rasa Spa for their support every week! 

January 4, 2025: JH - Charting Singles from 1975 LPs

 January 4, 2025

Host: Jan Hunsinger (JH)

Spotlight:  "Charting Singles from 1975 LPs".

Rockin' Remnants is broadcast from WVBR-FM Ithaca. Check out our webpage, like us on Facebook, and tune in to 93.5 or stream the show every Saturday night from 6-9pm! (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!

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 chart dates during/after Aug 1958) unless otherwise noted

·     a glossary of terms is below the playlist

6:00 - 7:00

OPENING THEME:  Good Old Rock ‘n’ Roll – Cat Mother & the All-Night Newsboys (1969 - #29: produced by Jimi Hendrix)

10th Avenue Freeze-Out - Bruce Springsteen (1976 - #83: from the LP that put "The Boss" on the map, "Born to Run", released 8/25/75)

Tangled Up in Blue - Bob Dylan (1975 - #31: song ranks #68/RS500; from the "Blood on the Tracks" LP, released 1/20/75 and something of a comeback album for Dylan)

45 Corner

Winds of the Old Days - Joan Baez (1975 - DNC: flip side to the title track of Joanie's "Diamonds and Rust" LP, released in April of '75, and a song about her relationship with Dylan)

Shakey Ground - The Temptations (1975 - #26: from their LP "A Song for You", released 1/16/75)

Bad Sneakers - Steely Dan (1975 - #103: from their "Katy Lied" LP, released 3/1/75)

Over My Head - Fleetwood Mac (1975 - #20: from the self-titled LP released 7/11/75, the first to feature the classic line-up of Mick Fleetwood, John and Christine McVie, Stevie Nicks, and Lindsey Buckingham)

That's the Way (I Like It) - KC and the Sunshine Band (1975 - #1: another self-titled LP; song was #1 for one week in November of '75, dropped down for a week, and returned to #1 for another week; we heard the single edit)

Sweet Maxine - The Doobie Brothers (1975 - #40: from the LP "Stampede", released in April of '75)

My Little Town - Simon & Garfunkel (1975 - #9: a one-off song for the former duo, released in October both on Simon's "Still  Crazy After All These Years" LP, and Garfunkel's "Breakaway" LP)

In France They Kiss on Main Street - Joni Mitchell (1976 - #66: from her jazz-pop fusion LP "The Hissing of Summer Lawns", released in November of '75; David Crosby, Graham Nash, and James Taylor provided backing vocals)

Mexico - James Taylor (1975 - #49: from his "Gorilla" LP; David Crosby and Graham Nash provided backing vocals here, too!)

Fool for the City - Foghat (1975 - #45: title track from the LP released 9/15/75)

7:00 - The Birthday Calendar

December 29:
Ray Thomas (The Moody Blues) - b. 1941
Rick Danko (The Band) - b. 1943
Marianne Faithfull - 78
Yvonne Elliman - 74

December 30:
Bo Diddley [Otha Elias Bates McDaniels] - b. 1928
Skeeter Davis [Mary Frances Penick] - b. 1931
Del Shannnon [Charles Westover] - b. 1934
[Noel] Paul Stookey (Peter, Paul, & Mary) - 88
Felix Pappalardi (Mountain) - b. 1939
Mike Nesmith (The Monkees) - b. 1942
Davy Jones (The Monkees) - b. 1945
Jeff Lynne (E.L.O.) - 77

December 31:
John Denver [Henry John Deutschendorf] - b. 1943
Pete Quaife (The Kinks) - b. 1943
Burton Cummings (The Guess Who) - 77

January 1:
"Country" Joe McDonald - 83

January 2:
Roger Miller - b. 1936
Michael "Chick" Churchill (Ten Years After) - 76

January 3:
Stephen Stills - 80
John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) - 79

January 4:
Arthur Conley - b. 1946

For My Lady - The Moody Blues (1973 - DNC: founding member and flute player Ray Thomas wrote this song that was released as the flip side to "I'm Just a Singer in a Rock and Roll Band", from the band's "Seventh Sojourn" LP)

This Wheel's on Fire - The Band (1968 - NR: Band bassist Rick Danko co-wrote this song with Bob Dylan)

As Tears Go By - Marianne Faithfull (1964 - #22: song was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards)

I Don't Know How to Love Him - Yvonne Elliman (1971 - #28: from the soundtrack to the rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar")

Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley (1955 - DNC: despite the lack of chart success, the song ranks #62/RS500; "Bo Diddley" is the name for a one-stringed African guitar)

I Can't Stay Mad at You - Skeeter Davis (1963 - #7: country crossover from the woman who was an influence to Tammy Wynette and Dolly Parton)

Runaway - Del Shannon (1941 - #1: song topped the charts for 4 weeks in the spring of '61 and ranks #466/RS500; and, man, that organ solo!)

Early Morning Rain - Peter, Paul, & Mary (1965 - #91: their cover of the Gordon Lightfoot song)

Mississippi Queen - Mountain (1970 - #21: Felix Pappalardi played bass for the hard rock group from Long Island)

Silver Moon - Mike Nesmith and the First National Band (1971 - #42: Nesmith's post-Monkees band was in the country-rock genre)

Daydream Believer - The Monkees (1967 - #1: Davy Jones provided lead vocals on one of the group's best known singles; written by John Stewart)

Evil Woman - The Electric Light Orchestra (1975 - #10: song came from 1975 LP "Face the Music"; Jeff Lynne was a founding member of the group, and its lead guitarist and singer-songwriter; he later was a member of the Traveling Wilburys and a producer)

I'd Rather Be a Cowboy - John Denver (1973 - #62: from his LP "Farewell Andromeda")

Dedicated Follower of Fashion - The Kinks (1966 - #36: Pete Quaife was the bassist for the British group)

8:00

Undun - The Guess Who (1969 - #22: a sax/keyboard player, Burton Cummings learned the flute for this single)

Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine - Country Joe McDonald and the Fish (1967 - #95: Joe's communist-leaning parents named him after Joseph Stalin)

England Swings - Roger Miller (1965 - #8: song is a reference to "Swinging London" of the mid-60s)

I'd Love to Change the World - Ten Years After (1971 - #40: Chick Churchill was the keyboardist for the British blues rock band)

Sit Yourself Down - Stephen Stills (1971 - #37: Stills received backing vocals help from Rita Coolidge, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Mama Cass, and John Sebastian)

Trampled Under Foot - Led Zeppelin (1975 - #38: from their LP "Physical Graffiti", released 2/24/75)

Sweet Soul Music - Arthur Conley (1967 - #2: million-selling single was written by Sam Cooke and produced by Otis Redding, but was kept out of the #1 spot by The Supremes' "The Happening")

Passing Away this week:
Wayne Osmond - b. 8/28/51, d. 1/1/25 (73)
Brenton Wood - b. 7/26/41, d. 1/3/25 (83)

Goin' Home - The Osmonds (1973 - #36: song was written by lead guitarist Wayne Osmond and went to #4 in the UK)

Gimme Little Sign - Brenton Wood (1967 - #9: Wood was a producer and song-writer and formed his own record label)

*Nobody But Me - The Human Beinz (1968 - #8: song was written by the Isley Brothers and covered by this garage band from Youngstown, Ohio)

Wake Up Everybody - Harold Melvin and the Blue notes (1975 - #12: title track from the LP released 11/29/75; we heard the 3:39 single version)

Play on Love - Jefferson Starship (1975 - #49: from the LP "Red Octopus" released 6/13/75)

Squeeze Box - The Who (1975 - #16: from the LP "Who By Numbers" released 10/3/75)

The Music Never Stopped - The Grateful Dead (1975 - #81: from the LP "Blues for Allah" released 9/1/75)

CLOSING THEME:  Sleepwalk – Santo & Johnny (1959 - #1 for two weeks; brothers Santo [steel guitar] and Johnny [rhythm guitar] Farina from Brooklyn)

Glossary of Terms:

dnc = did not chart

nr = not released as a single at the time

AC = Billboard’s chart for “Adult Contemporary” records

BB = Billboard Magazine, which publishes the Hot 100 chart (previously known as the Top 100), along with several other charts

Bubbling Under = songs that were ranked but fell below the top 100

C&W = Billboard’s chart for “Country & Western” records

R&B = Billboard’s chart for “Rhythm & Blues” records

RRHOF = Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

RS500 = Rolling Stone Magazine’s ranked list of the top 500 singles of all-time

Host January 11, 2025: John Simon (JS) with a spotlight on songs that debuted or peaked in January!

Thanks for tuning in! You can listen to Rockin' Remnants every Saturday night from 6-9pm on WVBR (93.5 FM in Ithaca, NY) or streaming here. 

Thanks again to our sponsors Island Health & Fitness and Rasa Spa for their support every week!