March 29, 2025 - GJ - Reading Labels

Rockin’ Remnants

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Date: March 29, 2025

Host:  Gregory James

Feature: Reading Labels

Tonight’s focus is on record labels that recorded some of the most influential rock ‘n roll music in the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s. 

Birthday Calendar

March 23

Chaka Khan (Yvette Marie Stevens) 72 years old

Ric Ocasek     1944

March 24

Carol Kaye 90 years old

Nick Lowe 76 years old

Lee Oskar (War harmonica)  77 years old

March 25

Johnny Burnette 1934

Aretha Franklin 1942

Sir Elton John           78 years old   

Hoyt Axton 1938

Nathan Watts (Stevie Wonder bass and music director) 71 years old

March 26

Diana Ross 81 years old

Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) 77 years old

Teddy Pendergrass 1950

Rufus Thomas   1917

March 29

Astrud Gilberto   1940

Rock n’ Roll Trivia

In the 6:00 hour I played the first version of the Lennon-McCartney song “From Me to You” released in the U.S. Who was the artist? (It wasn’t the Beatles.)

(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

6:00

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

ABC Records was founded in 1955 and produced music in a variety of genres.  In addition to producing records, ABC licensed masters from independent record producers, and purchased regionally released records for national distribution.

People Get Ready   Impressions      1965  #24 

A&M Records was formed in late 1962  by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss. The company was named after Alpert's and Moss's initials. 

*Yesterday Once More   Carpenters  1973   #2 

Pressed by Monarch Records and released on A&M.   A bit of nostalgia for oldies on the radio. Requested by Scottie for Peggy with love.

Apple Records was founded in 1968 by the Beatles.

Get Back   Beatles and Billy Preston  1970   #1  

Billy Preston was called “the fifth Beatle” and was given composing credit on this song.

Asylum Records was founded in 1971 by David Geffen with distribution by Atlantic Records.

Car on a Hill Joni Mitchell   1974   NR        

Reputedly Mitchell was waiting for Jackson Browne to drive up.

Atlantic Records was founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson and earned a reputation as one of the most important American labels, specializing in jazz, R&B and soul.

 Ruby Baby         Drifters   Atlantic   1956  #10 

ATCO Records was founded in 1955 as a division of Atlantic Records. It was intended as a home for acts that did not fit the format of Atlantic. The Atco name is an abbreviation of ATlantic COrporation.

Lazy River       Bobby Darin      Atco        1961    # 14  

            

Big Top Records, according to music historian Rob Finnis, had a “five-year heyday [that] spanned the fading days of …Tin Pan Alley, a period when songwriters and music publishers, rather than recording artists, ruled the record business.” 

From Me to You   Del Shannon   1963  #77 Big TopThe first version of this Lennon and McCartney song heard in the U.S.A. was recorded by Del Shannon on big Top Records.

Brunswick Records functioned initially as an R&B specialty label, adding pop music in 1957.

Reet Petite Jackie Wilson   1957  #62 Brunswick  

Written by Berry Gordy, the sales of the record partially enabled him to form Gordy/Motown/Tamla Records in 1959.

Motown Records celebrates its 66th birthday in 2025. Berry Gordy borrowed $800 to start the label. His goal was to create a sound that would appeal to as wide an audience as possible using elements of soul, rock, jazz, gospel, R&B. He emphasized memorable hooks and stories and used a variety of supremely talented song writers, producers and artists. The Hitsville Studio at 2648 West Grand Blvd. in Detroit worked around the clock to churn out thousands of recordings, the motto of which was “The Sound of Young America.” In order to avoid accusations of payola (record companies paying radio stations and DJ’s for airplay) by playing too many records from the original Tamla label, Berry Gordy formed Motown Records as a second label in 1960. The two labels featured the same writers, producers and artists. More subsidiary labels were established later under the umbrella of the Motown parent company, including Gordy Records. In reality, the Motown Record Corporation controlled all of these labels. 

Please Mr. Postman   Marvelettes     Tamla  1961  #1   This track was the first Berry Gordy record to reach #1 on the pop charts.

I Can’t Get Next to You  Temptations      Gordy  1969  #1

Cadence Records charted nearly 100 American singles between 1953 and 1964. 

‘Til I Kissed You       Everly Brothers    Cadence       1959    #4   

Don and Phil were backed by the Crickets on this one. 

Cameo-Parkway Records was the parent company of Cameo Records and Parkway Records, which were major Philadelphia-based labels from 1956 to 1967.  Its artists were frequently featured on American Bandstand, which originally aired on TV from Philadelphia.

So Much in Love   The Tymes  1963  #1

Capitol Records was founded in 1942 by song writer Johnny Mercer.

Dance, Dance, Dance    Beach Boys   1964  #8

Capricorn Records was founded in 1969 in Macon, Georgia and is widely regarded as influential in the promotion of southern rock.

One Way Out    Allman Brothers   1972   #86

Chancellor Records was an integral part popular Philadelphia artists and music in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Its major artists were Frankie Avalon and Fabian Forte.

Venus   Frankie Avalon     Chancellor    1959  #1

Chess Records was founded in 1950 in Chicago and specialized in blues and R&B. Named after its founders Leonard and Phil Chess. Over time it expanded into soul, gospel and early rock and roll.  The label produced and released many singles and albums regarded as central to the rock music canon.

You Can’t Catch Me Chuck Berry   1956  DNC

Chuck Berry wrote: “Here come a flat top, he was movin’ up with me…” John Lennon paraphrased the lyric for “Come Together” and he settled a copyright infringement suit out of court.

7:00

Once You Get Started   Rufus w/ Chaka Khan  1975 #10

You Might Think   The Cars   1984  #7

In the Heat of the Night    Ray Charles   1967  #33

One of Carol Kaye’s favorite bass performances.

So It Goes Nick Lowe  1978  #109

Nick Lowe’s debut solo single was marketed by specialty record shops and via mail order—long before digital releases on the internet became the dominant method of distribution.

Cisco Kid War   1973   #2

Harmonicist Lee Oskar (born 3/24/48) is second from the left.

Oh Baby Babe   Johnny Burnette and the Rock ‘n Roll Trio  1956  DNC

Although Burnette wrote the lyrics, the melody is identical to Elvis’ “I Wanna Play House With You” written in 1954 by Arthur Gunter. 

You Send Me    Aretha Franklin   1968  #56

Great arrangement by Arif Mardin with backing vocals by the Sweet Inspirations.

Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters     Elton John   1972  DNC

One of Reg Dwight’s favorite songs. Davey Johnstone played the mandolin.

Never Been to Spain     Hoyt Axton  1971   NR

Axton’s lyric was “in Oklahoma, born in a coma.”

Sir Duke Stevie Wonder   1977  #1 RB  #1 H100

Widely regarded as one of Nathan Watts’ best performances on bass guitar.

My World is Empty Without You    Supremes    1966   #5

Walk This Way Aerosmith    1977  #10

Stephen Tyler recorded his lyrics before Joe Perry recorded his lead guitar.

Ooh-Poo-Pah-Doo    Rufus Thomas   1963   

A cover of Jessie Hill’s 1960 original. Thomas was one of the original artists to record for Stax Records. The Stax studio was a converted movie theater with a slanted floor which, according to some listeners, created the distinctive Stax sound.

It Don’t Hurt Now       Teddy Pendergrass  1978

The backing vocalists were Lloyd Parks and Harold Melvin of the Blue Notes. Pendergrass was a major artist on Philadelphia International Records which released more than 170 gold and platinum selling records between 1971 and the early ‘80s.

Fly Me to the Moon   Astrud Gilberto   1965

8:00

Columbia Records is the oldest name in recorded sound.

Summer Highland Falls Billy Joel  1976  NR

Decca Records was founded in 1929 in England as an extension of their phonograph business. The label rejected the Beatles, as had Columbia, but did sign The Rolling Stones.

Doncha Bother Me  Rolling Stones  1966   NR

Elektra Records was formed in 1950 in the college dorm room of Jac Holzman.

Touch Me     The Doors   1969 #3

Written by Robby Krieger with Harvey Brooks on bass.

Epic Records was launched in 1953 by Columbia Records for music that did not fit the more mainstream Columbia label. 

Glad All Over   Dave Clark 5        Epic     1963  #6         

Fantasy Records was formed in 1949 as a jazz label. In 1971 the label was able to build a new Berkeley office called “The House That Creedence Built.”

Fortunate Son    Creedence Clearwater Revival   1969 

This B-side is in the Grammy Hall of Fame and the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame, but it never charted on its own.

Imperial Records was founded in 1946, initially focusing on Mexican music. The label expanded to record New Orleans R&B. Fats Domino was signed to the label when he was 22 years old, and he crossed over into the mainstream pop music market in 1955. Ricky Nelson joined the label in 1957, and he became a teen idol and a consistent hit maker for Imperial.

I’m Ready       Fats Domino      Imperial     #16        1959

Kama Sutra Records was founded in 1964 as a production house. It became a record label in 1965 with a distribution arrangement with MGM Records.

Darling Be Home Soon    Lovin' Spoonful  1967  #15

Among the most famous recording artists on Laurie Records’ roster were The Chiffons and Dion and the Belmonts.  

One Fine Day    Chiffons        Laurie            #5   1963

One of the coolest piano and percussion intros ever recorded.

Liberty Records’ biggest early rock and roll artist was Eddie Cochran. His biggest hit was in 1957 with “Summertime Blues.” 

Summertime Blues   Eddie Cochran   1958  #8

In the early 1950s, MGM Records was considered one of the major record companies because it owned its own manufacturing facilities. 

Don’t Bring Me Down    Animals         MGM      #12 1966

A Goffin-King composition with Dave Rowberry on organ and Hilton Valentine on fuzz guitar.     

Monument Records, according to legend, was named for the Washington Monument. The signing of former Sun Records singer Roy Orbison brought success to Monument Records.

Oh Pretty Woman   Roy Orbison     Monument     1964  #1

The track spent three weeks at #1.

Scepter Records and its subsidiary label Wand launched the careers of the Shirelles, B.J. Thomas, Joey Dee, Maxine Brown, the Guess Who, Tammi Terrell, the Isley Brothers and Dionne Warwick.

Always Something There to Remind Me          Dionne Warwick   Scepter  #65  1968

Specialty Records was founded in Los Angeles in 1945 and was known for R&B, and early rock and roll with hits from Little Richard, Guitar Slim, Percy Mayfield and Lloyd Price.

Lucille       Little Richard       Specialty    #21     1957

Sun Records was founded by Sam Phillips in 1950 in Memphis. Phillips discovered and first recorded Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis. 

Lewis Boogie         Jerry Lee Lewis    Sun    1957

Vee-Jay Records was founded in 1953 and was one of the first African-American owned record companies. The Four Seasons was the first white group signed by the label.

Walk Like a Man   Four Seasons  1963  #1

Volt Records, founded in late 1961, was the label home of Otis Redding and the Bar-Kays, among other artists.  In that era many radio stations, anxious to avoid even the hint of payola (radio stations being paid to play records from a particular label to enhance sales), often refused to play more than one or two new songs from any single record label at one time, so as to not appear to be offering favoritism to any particular label. To circumvent this, Stax, like many other record companies, created a number of subsidiary labels, including Volt.

Try a Little Tenderness  Otis Redding    Volt    #25   1967

CLOSING THEME: Sleep Walk – Santo and Johnny (1959, #1 for two weeks)

Trivia Answer

Del Shannon was the first artist to record and release “From Me to You” in the U. S. 

Congratulations to Mike from the City of Ithaca 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 5, 2025 John Rudan 

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