September 19, 2026 - JS - Closing the Door on Summer

 

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 Island Health & Fitness and Rasa Spa for their support every week!

Date:  9/19/26

Host:  John Simon

Feature:  Summer’s Winding Down

 

 

 This Saturday night on WVBR's Rockin' Remnants: we get ready for Tuesday's changing-of-the-seasons with lots of September songs as we gently close the door on Summer. Also lots of cool 45 versions of songs that differ from the ones you'll find on CD (or on LPs, for that matter). Song titles with this symbol o- are vinyl 45s!

 

Plus...theater tix, weather updates, concert listings and your requests, from 6-9pm on 93.5 or streaming at wvbr dot com.

It's live radio, man! Come join the fun. 

  

 

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)

 

o- Come Monday – Jimmy Buffett (5/74; #30 – before he became a cult favorite, Jimmy flew under the radar with this early hit that captures the melancholia that often accompanies Labor Day weekend. One cool twist: this is the 45 version, which changes his footwear from “Hush Puppies” to “hiking shoes!”)

 

 

Hot Fun in the Summertime – Sly & The Family Stone (8/69; #2 for two weeks – although the lyrics celebrate the arrival of summer, the song also leads to the parting-of-ways that comes with summer’s end. For the record, Rolling Stone ranks this one at #250 in its RS500 list.)

 

 

Distant Shores – Chad & Jeremy (7/66; #30 – their best known change-of-seasons hit was “A Summer Song,” but this one has a slightly mournful quality that fits the theme quite nicely. It was written by James William Guercio, and there’s an orchestral tip of the hat to Gerry & The Pacemakers within these grooves.)

 

 

* Wonderful Summer – Robin Ward (11/63; #14 – she had just one hit, but it’s a perennial favorite at this time of year. The original 45 version is missing the ocean waves and some of the background vocals, but we’re going with the CD version that pulls out all of the stops!)

 

 

o-  Maggie May – Rod Stewart (8/71; #1 for five weeks – this was intended as the B-side of “Reason to Believe,” but Pop radio knew better. It would play all September long as it worked its way up the chart, and land at #1 on October 2^nd, where it would stay for five weeks! Tonight we hear the 45, which doesn’t include the acoustic guitar intro. That intro, by the way, was played by Rod’s co-writer Martin Quittenton, and was entitled “Henry!” This record is ranked at #131 in the RS500.)

 

 

(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman – Aretha Franklin (9/67; #8 – Carole King & Gerry Goffin bumped into Atlantic producer Jerry Wexler on the street in NYC and he offhandedly asked them to write a song about “a natural woman” for Aretha. Did they ever! It’s one of her most beloved hits. As a thank-you, they awarded Wexler partial writing credit.)

 

 

o-  Farewell Andromeda (Welcome to My Morning) – John Denver (9/73; #89 – this was one of his earlier singles that didn’t get a lot of exposure at the time, but four of his next singles would all reach #1 and he’d soon become a superstar. Tonight we hear the stereo side of a radio station promo 45, which is punchier – and shorter – than the album/CD versions.)

 

 

*  Love Me Tender – Elvis Presley (10/56; #1 – this was released on October 20^th and would reach #1 two weeks later, where it would sit for five weeks! It was a dedication/request going out from Cheryl to John, listening in from Florida. I played it from Elvis’ “#1s” CD, where it is track 4. I inadvertently punched in track 3, which is why you heard the opening notes of “you ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog!” Oooof! Sorry about that, you two!)

  

*  Time of the Season – Zombies (2/69; #3 for two weeks – going out from Scottie to Peggy, this one was released after the group had already disbanded. Its success led them to reunite briefly, and they’ve continued to do so on and off to this very day.)

  

*  I’ve Got Sand in My Shoes – Drifters (9/64; #33 – this was their follow-up to “Under the Boardwalk,” and it was called in by listener Doug in San Diego, dedicated to his brother-in-law Gary in Detroit. Our broadcast signals knows no borders!)

 

 

*  Long Tall Glasses (I Can Dance) – Leo Sayer (2/75; #9 – boy, I was having a rough night when it came to playing requests! It turns out that the caller actually wanted to hear “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing,” and I just saw “dance” in the title and let it rip. Sigh. I’ll make it up next time….)

 

 

Dandelion – Rolling Stones (9/67; #14 – this is another song that had been designated as the B-side and then took on a life of its own. The A-side was “We Love You,” and famously had guest singers John Lennon and Paul McCartney in the mix. This side, however, features one of Charlie Watt’s greatest drumming performances and some cool psychedelic effects, and just may be one of my favorite Stones records.)

 

 

 

7-8pm

 

 Birthday Calendar

 

 

September 13 – Peter Cetera (Chicago) – age 82

            – David Clayton Thomas (BST) – 1941

 

September 15 – Sylvia Moy (Motown) – 1938

           

 

September 16 – B.B. King – born in 1925

            – Joe Butler (Lovin Spoonful) – age 84

            – Kenney Jones (Small Faces) – age 77

 

September 17 – Shelby Flint – age 87

–    Lamonte McLemore (5^th Dimension) – age 87

 

 

September 18 – Jimmie Rodgers – born in 1933

           

MONTH DATE – Mama Cass Elliott – 1941

            – Paul Williams – age 86

     – Bill Medley (Righteous Bros) – age 86

 

 

 

o-  Questions 67 & 68 – Chicago (8/69; #71 – this would be re-released two years later with the wild guitar intro edited out and another minute lopped off, and it would go on to reach #24. Tonight we hear the hard-to-find original version, which is slightly sped up and meant to be played loud.)

 

 

Go Down Gamblin’ – Blood Sweat & Tears (7/71; #32 – the band’s lead singer David Clayton-Thomas wrote this one, and the band turned it into one of their edgiest and hardest-hitting singles ever.)

 

 

Spotlight on Motown’s Sylvia Moy:

Born and raised in Detroit, she was the first woman to write and produce for Motown Records. She's probably best known as the person who convinced Berry Gordy to keep Stevie Wonder in the Motown family when Stevie's voice began to change and the hits had stopped coming. Here are three records that she helped create.   

 

 

Honey Chile – Martha Reeves & The Vandellas (11/67; #11 Pop, #5 R&B – this was the first single released with Martha’s surname on the label, and was co-written by Sylvia Moy. We also pause to acknowledge the passing of founding member of The Vandellas Rosalind Ashford on September 15^th.)

 

 

This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You) – The Isley Brothers (2/66; #12 Pop, #6 R&B – the band had a short and disappointing tenure with Motown, but this was a true highlight for all concerned. The writing team was Holland-Dozier-Holland and Sylvia Moy. Tonight we hear it in glorious stereo.)

 

My Cherie Amour – Stevie Wonder (5/69; #4 – this is a song that had originally been the dedicated B-side of Stevie’s “I Don’t Know Why.” That A-side was a chart disappointment, but this side began to get more and more airplay, and Tamla re-released it and saw it soar up to #4. It has since become something of a Pop standard!)

 

 

You Didn’t Have to Be So Nice – Loving Spoonful (11/65; #10 – this was the follow-up to their debut single, which had reached #9, and the Billboard reviewer predicted that this one would equal its performance. It came close, but just missed the mark. Tonight we hear the superior mono mix, and it sounds glorious here in the studio.)

 

 

Itchycoo Park – Small Faces (11/67; #16 – Kenney Jones is mostly known as the guy who replaced Keith Moon as the Who’s drummer, but his first big gig was behind the drum kit for the Faces. This record is often cited as one of the first ones to feature the “flange” effect on the drums. It was the group’s biggest hit here in The States.)

 

 

*  Stoned Soul Picnic – 5^th Dimension (6/68; #3 for three weeks – songwriter Laura Nyro was about to be in everybody’s ears over the next year, providing several more big hits for this group, plus Top Ten material for Three Dog Night, Blood Sweat & Tears, Barbra Streisand and more. David in Vancouver called this one in, and fits both with our theme and with Lamonte McLemore’s birthday this week. He’s one of the band’s three male singers, and the one who got the low parts.)

 

 

 

Magic Wand – Shelby Flint (9/61; dnc – she was a teenager with an acoustic guitar and a handful of original songs when she was signed to Valiant Records in 1960, and has the distinction of being their first charting artist. Sadly, this record fell on mostly deaf ears – but Joni Mitchell once told an interviewer that Shelby Flint was one of the singers she tried to emulate as a young performer. How’s that for an endorsement???)

 

 

The World I Used to Know – Jimmie Rodgers (6/64; #51 – he’s best known for his big #1 smash “Honeycomb,” and many of his songs were bouncy or playful. This one is an anomaly: thoughtful and introspective, and an unlikely candidate to survive the height of the British Invasion, but it did – and it shows surprising emotional range.)

 

 

o-  Let the Good Times Roll – Bobby “Blue” Bland and B.B. King (7/76; #101 Pop, #20 R&B – this live recording featured two American Blues legends in concert, and they turn in a compelling version of this oft-recorded chestnut, trading lines and driving the crowd into a frenzy.)

 

Just Once in My Life – Righteous Brothers (4/65; #9 Pop, #26 R&B – baritone Bill Medley turns in a virtuosic performance on this Carole King number. Tonight we hear the punchy mono version, which is surprisingly hard to come by….)

 

 

Make Your Own Kind of Music – Cass Elliott (10/69; #39 – the Mamas & Papas were coming to an end and each member embarked on a solo career. Mama Cass was far and away the most successful, and this gem would become something of an anthem for young women everywhere.)

 

Out in the Country – Paul Williams (1972; dnc – he was a very successful writer for other artists: Three Dog Night, The Carpenters, and even Kermit the Frog, but his dreams of stardom never truly came to fruition. This is a fine version of a song that Three Dog Night had charted with, taken from his album Life Goes On.)

 

 

 

 

 

8-9pm

 

 

Telephone (Won’t You Ring) – Shelley Fabares (1/63; #109 – Shelley Fabares played Donna Reed’s teenaged daughter on television, and later played opposite Elvis Presley in three of his movies – but she was a reluctant singer. Still, Colpix released several singles by her and one of them actually topped the charts. She passed away on September 22^nd at the age of 82. Here’s a record of hers that just missed the Hot 100.)

 

 

Busy Signal – Dolly Parton (11/65; dnc – Dolly Parton, on the other hand, was very much a singer – and an actress, guitar player, songwriter and a philanthropist. There’ve been many tributes to her since her passing on September 25^th, including the release of multiple bits of her obscure 80 year history. One of them is this non-charting single, released when she was still a teen and before she was fully established as a Country musician. It was written and produced by Ray Stevens, and deserves to be heard.)

 

 

o-  I Do the Rock – Tim Curry (11/79; #91 – we lost two 80-year olds on the 25^th, the other one being actor and stage performer Tim Curry. He was apparently the lyricist of this, his one charting single as a singer, and it’s a pretty wacky roll call of European Pop culture characters, sung in an exaggerated faux German accent. Longtime WVBR DJ John Rudan says that this song got lots of airplay on our airwaves in early 1980.)

 

 

Cruel to Be Kind – Nick Lowe (8/79 #12 – he’d been in a number of critically acclaimed bands including Brinsley Schwarz and Rockpile, and was closely associated with Elvis Costello, but this was his biggest hit as a solo artist. It has a serious retro vibe and an infectious chorus, and it leapt out at me when it first blasted out of my car radio in 1979. It still gets my attention every time I hear it.)

 

 

Sail On – Commodores (8/79; #4 – singer/writer Lionel Richie was born and raised in Alabama, and a bunch of his songs could fit right into a Country Radio format. This one combines those leanings with a lush Motown sound, and it’s another stunning gem from that same time period. The fall of 1979 was pretty cool, musically.)

 

 

 

o-  Fire & Rain – James Taylor (9/70; #3 for three weeks – this was his first big charting hit here in The States, taken from his first Warner Brothers album Sweet Baby James. Tonight we hear the mono side of a radio station promo 45, and you can hear the low-end and the drums much more pronouncedly. This one reached #227 on the RS500, and established James as a generational talent.)

 

 

My Maria – B.W. Stevenson (8/73; #9 – here’s another classic single that never grows old. It was the Dallas native’s biggest hit, and would later reach #1 when Country stars Brooks & Dunn released it as a single – virtually copying every element of the original – in 1993. Stevenson received royalties from both versions, because he was the co-writer.)

 

 

o-  This Time It’s Real – Tower of Power (9/73; #65 Pop, #27 R&B – this multiracial Funk/Soul band from Oakland, CA continues to sell out venues with some of the original members still in the line-up. This was their third charting single, and tonight we hear a clean radio station promo copy with an added vocal line and what may be an alternate take from the album version. I cranked this one up in the studio.)

 

 

o-  Sailor Boy – The Chiffons (8/64; #81 – here’s another radio station promo 45, “rush released” from Laurie Records with hope of great success. A caller commented that it sounded too much like the Shirelles’ “Soldier Boy,” but I liked it just fine.)

  

 

Baby Be Mine – Jelly Beans (9/64; #51 – I remember years ago hearing this song on Rockin’ Remnants, played by DJ Bobby Comstock, Jr. In introducing it, he said that his dad – THE Bobby Comstock – told him that this definitely should have been a hit record, and that he encouraged him to play it on the show. I always thought that it was overlooked, too. Let’s play it again!) 

 

 

All Summer Long – Beach Boys (7/64; NR – this was the title track from their sixth album, and it was seen as a big step forward in their musical maturation. The song itself was never released as a single in the States, but it was famously featured over the closing credits of the film American Graffiti – and it closes tonight’s farewell-to-summer show. I’ll see you in two weeks, and it officially turns fall this Tuesday evening.)

 

 

 

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

 

 

Congratulations to Clare from South Hill for being Caller 3 and winning tickets to see “N/A” at the Kitchen Theatre!

 

 

 

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 (9/26/26):  Gregory James with a spotlight on Artists A-Z, Part Two.

 

 

 

Thanks for tuning in - and for voting us Ithaca's Best Local Radio Show in this year's 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!

September 12, 2026 - GJ - Artists A to Z

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: September 12, 2026

Host: Gregory James 

Feature: Artists A to Z

Birthday Calendar

September 6

Roger Waters (Pink Floyd)   83 years old

Micky Waller  (drummer with Rod Stewart)  b. 1941

September 7

Gloria Gaynor 83 years old

Chrissie Hynde (Pretenders) 75  years old

Buddy Holly      b. 1936

Joe Simon  b. 1936 

September 8

Benjamin Orr (Cars vocalist/bassist)  b. 1947

September 9

Dee Dee Sharp          81 years old

Otis Redding         b.1941 

David Stewart (Eurythmics) 74 years old

John McFee (Doobie Brothers guitarist/vocalist) 76 years old

Inez Foxx   b. 1937

September 10

Joe Perry (Aerosmith guitarist) 76 years old

Jose Feliciano   81 years old

September 12

Maria Muldaur 83 years old

Barry White b.1944

Judy Clay    b. 1938

Rock n’ Roll Trivia

Question: In the 6:00 hour I played a song whose melody is almost identical to another song by the same artist. What was the song?

(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)

Respect  Aretha Franklin  1967  #1

Her sisters Carolyn and Erma sang back up.

Let It Rock  Chuck Berry    1964  #60

Almost identical melody as Johnny B. Goode

Feelin’ Alright  Joe Cocker   1969  #69, 1972 #33

The backing vocalists were Brenday Holloway and Merry Clayton

Up on the Roof Drifters  1962  #5  RRHOF

When Will I Be Loved?  Everly Brothers   1960  #8

Say You Love Me  Fleetwood Mac       1976  #11

Maybe I Know  Lesley Gore  1964  #14

I’m Into Something Good  Herman’s Hermits   1964  #13

Their first hit in the U.S.

It’s All Right   Impressions   1963  #4  RRHOF

She’s Always a Woman  Billy Joel 1978  #17

I Heard It Through the Grapevine  Gladys Knight/Pips  1967  #2   RRHOF

If you are curious about the identities of the Pips, check out the video below at the 2:00 minute mark.

Great Balls of Fire   Jerry Lee Lewis  1957  #2

Otis Blackwell wrote many early rock n’ roll songs, including this one.

A Legend of the Mind     Moody Blues  1968  DNC

Hello Mary Lou  Rick Nelson  1961  #9

Nelson changed his name from Ricky to Rick when he turned 21 years old. 

Only the Lonely  Roy Orbison  1960  #2  RRHOF  Grammy HOF

The backing singers were co-composer Joe Melson and the Anita Kerr singers. To my ear, they sounded like the Fleetwoods.

Heartbreak Hotel    Elvis Presley  1956  #1 (8 weeks)

This was his second recording for RCA after he switched from Sun Records. However, Presley insisted on creating the Sun Studio echo effect in the more buttoned up RCA studio.

96 Tears   ? and the Mysterians  1966  #1  RRHOF

7:00

Shapes of Things   Jeff Beck Group   1968  DNC

Drummer Mickey Waller and bassist Ron Wood created unconventional rhythms supporting Jeff Beck’s lead guitar.

Hey You   Pink Floyd  1979  DNC

Composer Roger Waters sang the bridge and last verse and David Gilmour sang the first and second verse.

Never Can Say Goodbye    Gloria Gaynor   1982  #9

In Canada and the U.K, Gaynor’s version out performed the original Jackson 5 version.

It’s So Easy  Buddy Holly  and the Crickets 1958  DNC

Or, more accurately, The Crickets featuring Buddy Holly for the last time.

Don’t Get Me Wrong     Pretenders   1986  #10

The perfect pop track, apparently inspired by Chrissie Hynde's friend John McEnroe, the tennis player.

Drowning in the Sea of Love    Joe Simon  1972  #11 H100  #3 RB

This was the 4th of 8 top 40 hits for Joe Simon

Drive  The Cars   1984  #3

The song was written by Ric Ocasek and sung by Benjamin Orr

Deep Dark Secret    Dee Dee Sharp   1964  DNC 

Hard to Handle   Otis Redding   1968    

This Otis Redding original was released posthumously in 1968 and the Black Crowes picked it up as a cover in 1990.

  

Who’s That Girl   Eurythmics  1983

In the video below, Annie Lennox gets the audience singing along.

One Step Closer    Doobie Brothers   1980  #24

The late Cornelius Bumpus sang lead (with Michael McDonald) and played the saxophone on this track co-written by John McFee.

Rain  Jose Feliciano  1969

Written by Jose Feliciano and his first wife Janna Merlyn Feliciano.

Long Hard Climb   Maria Muldaur 1973  NR

From her eponymous album.  Spooner Oldham played piano, Chris Ethridge played bass and Jim Keltner played drums.

September When I First Met You   Barry White  1978

From his album “The Man.”

8:00

* Tumbling Dice  Rolling Stones   1972  #7

Requested by Scottie with love for Peggy.

You’re So Vain Carly Simon  1972 #1 (3 weeks) 

Something in the Way She Moves   James Taylor  1968  DNC

La Bamba   Ritchie Valens  1958  #22  RRHOF

My Guy   Mary Wells   1964  #1 (2 weeks) RRHOF

Darkness, Darkness   Youngbloods  1969 #124  1970 #86

Tush  ZZ Top 1975  #20

Tomorrow Never Knows   Beatles  

This track is even trippier than “Lucy in the Sky” or “Strawberry Fields.”

Born on the Bayou     Creedence Clearwater Revival   1969  DNC

Killing Me Softly   Roberta Flack  1972  #1 (6 weeks)

Today   Jefferson Airplane   1967 NR

Marty Balin wrote and sang the song and Jerry Garcia played lead guitar.

Monkees Theme  Monkees   1966   DNC

John Simon informed me that The Monkees TV show debuted on this date in 1966.

Poor Pitiful Me  Linda Ronstadt 1978  #31

I Want to Take You Higher  Sly and the Family Stone  1969  #60  1970  #38

It charted in 1969 as a B-Side and again in 1970 after the group’s performance at Woodstock.

Heat Wave   Martha and the Vandellas   1963  #4  RRHOF

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

Trivia Answer

Chuck Berry’s “Let It Rock” is almost identical to “Johnny B. Goode.”

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

RRHOF = Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Host September 19, 2026: John Simon 

Thanks for tuning in! You can listen to Rockin’ Remnants every Saturday night from 6-9 p.m. Eastern on WVBR (93.5 FM in Ithaca NY) or streaming on WVBR.com.

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