Rockin'
Remnants
Rockin' Remnants is broadcast from WVBR-FM Ithaca. Check out our webpage,
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Date: 7/04/26
Host: John Simon & Kim Vaughan
Feature: The Sesquicentennial
Tonight on Rockin' Remnants we look at 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. We don't take this responsibility lightly, but we've got a plan. Join us for three hours reflecting on history, dissent, pride of place, and commitment to a bold new vision - all through the music of our youth. 6-9pm at 93.5FM and streaming at wvbr dot com.
NOTE: a number of the
songs we’ll hear tonight are mentioned in this amazing list compiled by
CBS-TV’s “Sunday Morning.” It’s worth a good look!
https://www.cbsnews.com/projects/2026/sunmo-american-songbook/
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)
My Country Tis of Thee – David Crosby & Graham Nash (9/01; dnc – we open tonight with a song that was born in 1832, when an American lyricist updated the words to “God Save The King.” This version by long-time musical partners Crosby & Nash appeared in an episode of The West Wing in 2014, and was based on an arrangement Crosby had used in the mid-Nineties. We usually limit ourselves to music recorded and released in the 50s/60s/70s, but tonight is a special occasion.)
America the Beautiful – Ray Charles (7/72; dnc – this one appeared on the B-side of Brother Ray’s low-charting “Look What They’ve Done to My Song, Ma,” and has been recognized as one of his greatest contributions to popular music. It was taken from his album A Message to the People, which was a creative collaboration between Ray and producer Quincy Jones, and was named repeatedly as one of “America’s 250 Essential Songs” from the past 250 years in a poll by CBS News.)
The Declaration – 5th Dimension (2/70; #64 – after their stunning success with “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” from the Tribal Rock Musical Hair, the group turned to another NY show for inspiration and material. The production in question was called Bread, Beans and Things, and the lyrics to this song were written and ratified 250 years ago this week. On their Portraits LP, it was part of a medley that included “A Change Is Gonna Come” and “People Got to Be Free.” We’ll end up hearing both of those – by the original artists - later in the show.)
America – Simon & Garfunkel (11/72; #87 – originally found on their 1968 album Bookends, this was finally released as a stand-along single in late 1972. It, too, can be found in that list of America’s 250 Essential Songs from the past 250 years, and tonight we hear it as it sounded on an official radio station promo 45.)
This Land Is Your Land – Trini Lopez (6/63; dnc – Woody Guthrie’s song was mentioned repeatedly in the America’s 250 Essential Songs list, and Trini’s version was released as a single from his Live At P.J.’s LP, but it was his version of “If I Had a Hammer” that proved to be the hit from the album.)

My Land is a Good Land – Eric Anderson (1966; NR – he was right in the thick of the Greenwich Village Folk scene and this song closed out his ‘Bout Changes and Things LP, but the more famous songs from the album were “Violets of Dawn” and “Thirsty Boots.” This one, however, pairs nicely with the previous tune and both were picked by KV for tonight’s show.)
Theme from ‘A Summer Place’ – Percy Faith & His Orchestra (2/60; #1 for nine weeks – we come up for air for some decidedly American numbers, starting with this giant hit from the winter of 1960. The Lettermen and Joni Sommers would both record vocal versions, but this orchestral gem stands as one of the greatest instrumental hits of the Sixties.)
California Girls – Beach Boys (7/65; #3 for two weeks – The Beach Boys were about as “American” as you could get, and this paean to the girls of the USA is one of their most memorable musical creations. Rolling Stone ranks it at #72 in its RS500, and songwriter Brian Wilson considered the majestic intro one of the greatest things he’d ever written.)

Only in America – Jay & The Americans (8/63; #25 – Leiber & Stoller had written this for and recorded it with The Drifters, but had done it as an ironic condemnation of racism in America, where there was no chance that a Black kid would ever be elected president. The powers that be at Atlantic Records refused to release it because they feared the possible backlash, so The Drifters’ voices were removed from the master tapes and a white vocal group from Queens was ushered into the studio to record their voices. It was a big hit, and no one knew the backstory until years later.)
A Change Is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke (1/65; #31 Pop, #9 R&B – this song was released three weeks after his shooting death in an LA motel lobby under mysterious circumstances in what seems to have been a racially motivated conspiracy. Sam had begun life as a Gospel singing superstar who’d taken to secular music and who’d created his own record label and secured the publishing rights to all of his music. He’d apparently been moved to write this song after hearing Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ In the Wind,” and wanted to use his powers to help shape the national discourse. This one also appears multiple times in that America’s 250 Essential Songs list.)

* A Simple Song of Freedom – Tim Hardin (8/69; #50 – Bobby Darin was one of the biggest stars of the late Fifties/early Sixties, but he was swept aside during the British Invasion and the hits had stopped coming. Folksinger Tim Hardin provided Bobby with his own composition called “If I Were a Carpenter,” and Bobby’s career got a significant jolt. In return, Bobby offered Tim this song – a song that would prove to be his only hit as a performer. Thanks to listener James for suggesting this one.)
* This is My Country – The Impressions (11/68; #25 Pop, #6 R&B – Curtis Mayfield was the chief writer, guitarist and lead singer for the group, and had begun writing songs of hope and encouragement for his fellow Black Americans. The group recorded this one for Curtis’ own record label, and it resonated with a lot of people of all stripes. Tonight we hear JS’ well-worn 45 that he bought when he was fifteen years old, and it goes out at the request of KV’s mom!)
7-8pm
Birthday Calendar
June 29 – Little Eva – born in 1945
– Billy Hinsche (Dino, Desi & Billy) – 1951
June 30 – Florence Ballard (Supremes) – 1943
– Billy Brown (The Moments) – age 80
July 1 – Debbie Harry (Blondie) – age 81
– June Montiero (The Toys) – age 80
July 2 – Tom Springfield – born in 1932
– Roy Bittan (E Street Band) – age 77
July 3 – Judith Durham (Seekers) – born 1943
– Fontella Bass – born in 1940
July 4 – Bill Withers – born in 1938
– Al Wilson (Canned Heat) – born in 1943
– Harvey Brooks – age 82
The Rebel Kind – Dino, Desi & Billy (12/65; dnc – these three kids met at Beverly Hills Catholic HS: Dino was entertainer Dean Martin’s son, Desi was son of Cuban percussionist/singer Desi Arnaz, Sr. and Billy was a musical prodigy born in Manila. Dismissed by many as “lightweights,” they actually were pretty serious musicians. This rockin’ number pre-dated their bigger hits, but it showed their swagger and defiance – and it did get some airplay in their hometown of LA.)
![Dino, Desi And Billy – Please Don't Fight It / The Rebel Kind – Vinyl (7", 45 RPM), 1966 [r12819265] | Discogs](https://i.discogs.com/ZCVA8Dg8QBdJJ4CTK0ozMlxIT4Med_fqEH6069nlwk0/rs:fit/g:sm/q:40/h:300/w:300/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEyODE5/MjY1LTE1NDI1NjEy/MDItODI4OC5qcGVn.jpeg)
I’m Giving You Your Freedom – The Supremes (3/64; dnc – these are three other kids who’d met in their high school in Detroit. Florence Ballard group - who clearly had the most powerful voice in the group – had originally been the lead singer, but Diana was being eased into that role by Motown higher-ups. After two years of no chart success, the girls were starting to be called the “no-hit Supremes” by their peers, and were getting discouraged. This song was the B-side of “Run, Run, Run,” which did manage to reach #93, and their next single would reach #1, as did the four consecutive singles that followed it. They went from being Motown’s laughingstock to being the biggest group in America - and they were just getting started.)
Just a Little Girl – Little Eva (6/63; dnc – here’s another non-charting B-side for you: “Old Smokey Locomotion” was the follow-up to her runaway dance hit, and this hitched a ride on the flip side. It’s a classic Goffin-King production that rivaled Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound, and despite its questionable lyrical message, is a great little number.)
Sealed With a Kiss – The Toys (7/68; #112 – their hit streak at Dyno-Voice had come to an end, so they signed with Musicor Records and this is the closest they came to ever charting again. It’s an interesting concept: take a recent summertime Oldie, give it a driving, pulsating beat, and let the girls wail away. Listening to it in the studio, we both realized that this may have been a direct precursor to the Disco craze that was soon to follow!)
In the Sun – Blondie (12/76; dnc – speaking of B-sides, this number was paired with the NYC band’s first single on the IRS label. “X Offender” failed to chart, but their sound was both modern and primitive, and the lead singer’s striking looks and the band’s instrumentation and arrangements would lead to great chart success well into the Eighties.)
Love on a Two-Way Street – The Moments (4/70; #3 Pop, #1 R&B for five weeks – Billy Brown was a founding member of the New Jersey singing group that would later morph into Ray, Goodman & Brown and have some chart success in the early Eighties. In between, they scored a bunch of hits as The Moments, and this may have been the biggest of them all. The opening piano riff can be heard in Alicia Keys’ and Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind,” which got LOTS of play after the NY Knicks’ stunning NBA championship last month.)
I’ll Never Find Another You – The Seekers (3/66; #4 Pop, #1 UK for two weeks – we temporarily lift our embargo on non-American groups tonight to let this beauty play. Songwriter Tom Springfield had a birthday on Thursday and Seekers’ lead singer Judith Durham had a birthday on Friday. This one has both of their prints all over it, and tonight we play it in stunning and rare stereo.)
Racing In the Street – Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (6/78; NR – piano man Roy Bittan played on many artists’ recordings: Bob Seger’s late Seventies albums, Meatloaf’s Bat Out of Hell album, Stevie Nicks and Dire Straits and Lucinda Williams records…but he was, first and foremost, devoted to the E Street Band. His piano is one of the things that makes this one such a good song.)

Talking About Freedom – Fontella Bass (1973; dnc – this track from her Freedom album was placed on the B-side of the non-charting “It’s Hard to Get Back In,” and is probably the better song – especially for our purposes here tonight.)
Lovely Day – Bill Withers (10/77; #30 Pop, #6 R&B – he was a kid with a guitar and a gift for songwriting who escaped Slab Fork, WV to enlist in the Navy. Landing in LA, he signed with Sussex Records and began a prolific career. He eventually jumped ship for Columbia Records, and scored big with this one, too. We lost him during the COVID pandemic, but his music lives on.)

Going Up the Country – Canned Heat (12/68; #11 – Alan Wilson was a white kid from eastern Massachusetts who fell in love with the Blues and eventually ended up in LA where he teamed with Bob “The Bear” Hite to form Canned Heat. They played the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 and Woodstock in the summer of ’69, and this song featured prominently in both the Woodstock documentary and its soundtrack.)
What a Wonderful Thing We Have – Fabulous Rhinestones (8/72; #78 – meanwhile, bassist Harvey Brooks played on all sorts of people’s records: Dylan, The Doors, Electric Flag, John Sebastian, Cass Elliott, Miles Davis…. In 1972 he teamed with former Buckinghams member Marty Grebb and Illinois Speed Press’ singer/guitarist Kal David for one album, released on Michael Lang’s short-lived Just Sunshine Records label. This was their only charting single. It’s also, incidentally, the first song that I ever played on the radio!)
![The Fabulous Rhinestones – What A Wonderful Thing We Have – Vinyl (Scranton Pressing, 7", 45 RPM + 3 more), 1972 [r3188968] | Discogs](https://i.discogs.com/_UQZhKZ8mfw4ARlT9S1asYHx7WRoyoWsE21527KdgoU/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:599/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTMxODg5/NjgtMTM2MjQ1NTI5/My01ODY5LmpwZWc.jpeg)
8-9pm
* Bend Me, Shape Me – American Breed (12/67; #5 – they were a mixed-race Chicago rock band with a Pop sound and this was their first and biggest major hit, on the tiny Acta Records label. They’d continue in this vein for another couple of years before morphing into the funky Soul band called Rufus. When Chaka Khan joined the band, they reached a whole new plateau. This request came in from Scottie.)
* Ventura Highway – America (10/72; #8 – the band’s first single had debuted in February of 1972 and ended up spending three weeks at #1. This song right here was their third Top Ten hit of the calendar year, and featured the Wrecking Crew’s Joe Osborn on bass. The opening guitar lick would be incorporated into a big Janet Jackson hit thirty years later. Click on the link to see what I mean.)
Mr. Tambourine Man – The Byrds (6/65; #1 – Bob Dylan was the writer and rhythm section on this recording included Larry Knechtel on bass and Hal Blaine on drums. In fact, Roger McGuinn was the only band member to play on the session, although the vocals were all Byrds. This song also appears on the 250 Essential Songs list, and was the #1 record on this date in 1965.)
Home of the Brave – Jody Miller (6/65; #25 – here’s another one from the summer of 1965. Written by Barry Mann & Cynthia Weill, it was considered something of a “protest song” against societal norms, and was released at about the same time as a version by Phil Spector’s “Bonnie & the Treasures.” The Jody Miller version won the chart wars, and ended up being her biggest Pop hit.)

Find the Cost of Freedom – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (6/70; dnc – this was tucked onto the back of Neil Young’s angry “Ohio,” written the night after Ohio National Guard troops opened fire on student anti-war protestors on the Kent State campus, killing four young Americans. The two songs are forever linked, and the four voices singing in full-throated harmony still send shivers down the spine.)
* Volunteers – Jefferson Airplane (8/69; NR – this, too, was an anti-war anthem, originally called “Volunteers of America.” The single was released in November of 1969, reaching #65. Tonight, though, we hear the version recorded live at Woodstock early in the morning of August 17th. The energy is manic, and that IS Nicky Hopkins on piano.)
Monster/Suicide/America – Steppenwolf (1/70; #38 – the band’s second full-length LP was called Monster, and opened with a nearly ten-minute three-part medley recounting the brief history of the birth of our nation. Dunhill Records released a heavily-edited version called “Monster,” but I’ve taken the liberty of creating a 6:55 version that keeps the essence of the three movements intact without losing any of the impact. Fasten your seat belts!)
America – Neil Diamond (4/81; #8 – the America that we celebrate today is a land of immigrants seeking better lives and often fleeing persecution and strife. Neil Diamond has always been a writer/performer, but his acting debut was in the leading role in the film The Jazz Singer. The film was universally panned, but the soundtrack yielded three Top Ten hits including this stirring number – which happens to end repeating the words that we opened the show with: “My country ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty….”)
The Immigrant – Neil Sedaka (3/76; #22 – having found a rejuvenated career on Elton John’s Rocket Records label, another Jewish Brill Building songwriter named Neil wrote and performed this moving ballad. It’s a musical plea for a return to our founding mission of welcoming refugees to the land of the free, and it eventually was adopted as a tribute to Englishman John Lennon, who was facing his own immigration woes.)
People Got to Be Free – The Rascals (8/68; #1 Pop for five weeks, #14 R&B – the band’s second release after dropping the “Young” from their name became the biggest hit of their career. It also signaled their clear departure from singing about romance to releasing more political material. This one was released shortly after the shooting deaths of MLK and RFK, and seemed to feed a grieving nation’s need for catharsis.)
* Lowdown – Chicago (5/71; #35 – this was one of three charting singles from their third album, cleverly called Chicago III. The lyrics say “Oh, my – life has passed me by…The country I was brought up in…Fell apart and died.” The request came in from long-time friend and listener Lou in Florida, and provides an excellent lead-in to our closing number of the evening.)
Save the Country – 5th Dimension (6/70; #27 – NYC writer Laura Nyro had provided the group with some of its biggest hits, and this one might be my favorite of them all. It starts with the swirling organ of session player Larry Knechtel, is propelled by the driving rhythm section of Hal Blaine and Joe Osborn, and quotes part of the Civil Rights anthem “We Shall Overcome.” It serves as a ray of hope, even in the darkest of times.)
CLOSING THEME: Sleepwalk – Santo & Johnny (1959, #1 for two weeks)
Congratulations to Jeannie from Candor and Deb from Ulysses for successfully entering our drawing for a 4-Day Pass to GrassRoots!
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 (7/11): Jan Hunsinger with a spotlight called “Class of ’76 Reunion!”
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!
