Rockin' Remnants
Rockin' Remnants is broadcast from WVBR-FM Ithaca. Check out our web page, 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!)
Date: November 9, 2013
Host: John Simon and John Rudan
Features: Follow-Up Flops
Birthday Calendar
Nov 3 – Lulu (Marie McDonald
McLaughlin Lawrie) - 65 years old
Nov 4 – Delbert
McClinton – 73 years old
Nov 5 - Art Garfunkel – 72
years old
- Peter “Herman” Noone – 66 years old
Nov 6 - Glen Frey – 65 years
old
Nov 7 - Joni Mitchell (Roberta
Joan Anderson) -70 years old
Nov 8 - Bonnie Raitt – 64 years
old
- Rickie Lee Jones – 59 years old
From the Rockin’ Remnants Facebook page:
Remember The Cascades' "Rhythm of The
Rain?" Jimmy Charles' "A Million to One?" Los Bravos'
"Black is Black?" Odds are that you don't remember the records that
followed them. JS & JR will split the 11/9 shift featuring "Follow-Up
Flops" - lost 45s that failed to live up to their predecessors' successes.
Listen to records like "The Last Song " and "Going Nowhere"
live up to their titles. Win prizes! Join the fun! 6-9 p.m. Saturday night on
your radio or computer.
Playlist
[songs in bold are from the spotlight theme; yellow song titles are YouTube links; 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]
6-7pm – Follow-Up Flops (JS)
OPENING THEME: Good Old Rock ‘n’ Roll – Cat Mother & the All-Night Newsboys (1969, #29, produced by Jimi Hendrix)
Don’t
Take the Stars - Mystics [10/59; #98 * “Hushabye” had been a Top 20 hit in the summer of 1959. Its
follow-up barely scraped into the Hot 100. This teenage Doo Wop group from
Brooklyn would eventually include a young Paul Simon and Jay Traynor (a year
after these two records were released on the Laurie label)]
The
Age for Love –
Jimmy Charles [12/60; #47 * Released just 4 months after his #5 hit “A Million to One” (Promo 2002) this
single (Promo 2003) possibly lost ground when the label released a Christmas
single at about the same time. The label soon folded and Jimmy Charles - at the
tender age of 20 - would never record again].
Do
What You Did – Thurston Harris [1/58; #57 (Aladdin 3399).
This was the rollicking follow-up to “Little
Bitty Pretty One” (Aladdin 3398) which made it #6 in October of 1957. His
final charting record made it to a lowly #96, and Thurston Harris faded into
obscurity.]
Where
the Sun Has Never Shone – Jonathan King [1/66; #97 * This one
was probably too closely designed to sound like its predecessor, the Top
20-charting “Everyone’s Gone To the
Moon” (and probably tried a little too hard), but Jonathan King would go on
to future success producing Hedgehoppers Anonymous and the Blue Swede version
of “Hooked On a Feeling.”]
You’re
The One – The Marvelettes [4/66; #48 * An obvious attempt to
replicate the sound (and hopefully the success) of their previous release “Don’t Mess With Bill,” but that ship
had already sailed.]
My Name Is Mud – Eddie Rambeau [7/65; #112 * Another one
that was very formulaic (this one on the DynoVoice label). Both Eddie Rambeau
and Unit 4+2 had released the previous single (“Concrete & Clay,” #35 and #28 respectively) on May 1, 1965, splitting sales of
what might have been a bigger hit for either of them. This one deserved to do
better than #112.]
See My Friends – The Kinks [10/65; #111 * This song was released
during the height of the British Invasion, in the midst of the Kinks’ most
fertile charting period. Somehow, the Eastern drone-like flavor and foreign
musical scale was ahead of its time for American teenagers (who would soon be
exposed to - and embrace - George Harrison’s sitar playing on the Beatles’
Rubber Soul LP)].
You’re
My Girl – The Tokens [10/64; #125 * Written by Goffin-King and
slated to be the follow-up to “He’s In
Town,” the consensus was that they were too similar, and it was relegated
to the b-side of a non-charting single].
Going Nowhere – Los Bravos [12/66; #91 * Press 60003 (released 4 months
after “Black Is Black” * Press
60002). Same line-up, same label, released four months apart – but the
follow-up sadly lived up to its title]
I’ve
Lost Everything I’ve Ever Loved – David Ruffin
[7/69; #58 * Another one that lived up to its title. David Ruffin had replaced
Eddie Kendricks's sweet tenor as the lead voice of the Temptations string of
massive Pop and R&B hits of the mid-‘60s, but his overblown ego and demands
to be given top billing led to his being fired (by the group) from the group.
His first solo release was “My Whole
World Ended.” His career had pretty much, too.]
Doing
Things Together With You – Madeline Bell [6/68; dnc *
American-born singer/actress Madeline Bell would soon form the group Blue Mink
in the UK. Her version of Gamble-Huff’s “I’m
Gonna Make You Love Me” (pre-dating the Supremes/Temptations collaboration
by nearly a year) was released on the blue Philips Records label, as was its
follow-up. The outcomes were very different.]
Baby
Make Me Feel So Good – Five Stairsteps & Cubie [2/69; #101 * released on
Curtis Mayfield’s Curtom label, this is one of JS’ favorite songs ever. Not
many people shared his feelings about it.]
Where
Did You Come From – The Buckinghams [11/68; #117 * As their
very successful string of horn-driven pop ballads was winding down (Producer
James William Guercio would soon abandon them to produce the Chicago Transit
Authority), this gem was inexplicably a flop, despite being released in a
picture sleeve on a major label (and being included in a Hollywood film - The
Guru, starring Tom York)].
7-7:30pm -- birthdays (JS)
To Sir With Love – Lulu [10/67; #1 (5 weeks) * Featured in the film of the same name (filmed when she was 18), this record was anointed Record of The Year by Billboard Publications.
I Can Take Or Leave Your Loving – Herman’s Hermits [1/68; #22]
You Turn Me On, I’m a Radio – Joni Mitchell [11/72; #25]
For Emily Wherever I Might Find Her – Simon & Garfunkel [11/66; b-side of “A Hazy Shade of Winter”]
7:30-9pm – birthdays, 70s Follow-Up Flops (JR)
Take It Easy – Eagles – 1972
Giving It Up For Your Love – Delbert McClinton – 1980
You’re Gonna Get What’s Coming – Bonnie Raitt – 1979
Young Blood – Rickie Lee Jones – 1979
For
two halves of Rockin’ Remnants on 11/9 and 11/16, JR digs waaayyy deep into the
Billboard Hot 100 and resurrects some really cool 45’s. Part One will feature follow-ups to hit
singles from artists you know well (and maybe some you don’t!); back in the day
we used to call them “Pop Flops”, and for some reason or another the song
stalled below the Top 40 and sometimes relegated the artist to “One-Hit Wonder”
status. Some artists we’ll feature
include, Dobie Gray, Jessi Colter, Alive And Kicking, Doctor John to name just
a few. We’ll also hear from some
Canadian artists, who had a smash here in the States, then quietly limped off
to the Juno Awards and occasional “oldies but goodies” reunion tours.
Part
Two on 11/16 will unearth some real pop gems that should have been huge hits,
but were not. A lot of these songs were
“regional” hits, when Top 40 stations had local charts and local artists got
lots of airplay, but again did not crack the Billboard Top 40, the benchmark
for a National Hit! See if some of these
names jog any memories: Arkade, Fotomaker, Brown Sugar, Blaze or Stu Nunnery? No?
Well, there’s not a bad one in the bunch, so maybe you’ll hear it for
the first time and wonder why it wasn’t a big hit, to maybe it will rebound
into your conscious mind!
Some
of the songs we’ll hear are available on CD, and with more and more “forgotten
favorites” and “lost oldies” being unearthed by labels such as Rhino, Ace,
Eric, Wounded Bird, Shout Factory and others, they may yet appear. But for now, you’ll just have to hear them
where they were originally played: on the radio.
Loving
Arms – Dobie Gray.
Follow-up to #5 Hit “Drift Away”, peaked at #61, 11 weeks on the BB Hot
100 in 10/73. Both these records were
produced by Mentor Williams, brother of Paul Williams. Dobie had previously hit the Top 40 with “The
‘In’ Crowd” in 1965, and again in 1978 with the disco-flavored “You Can Do
It”. One of the great soul voices of all
time. Song written by folksinger Tom
Jans.
Just Let It Come – Alive 'N' Kickin'. Follow-up to #7 hit “Tighter, Tighter” peaked
at #69, 5 weeks on the Hot 100 in 9/70.
What’s Happened To Blue Eyes – Jessi Colter. Follow-up to #4 hit “I’m Not Lisa”, peaked at
#57, 5 weeks on the Hot 100 in 11/75.
Jessi was married to both Duane Eddy and Waylon Jennings, and was part
of the country “super group” The Outlaws, with Waylon, Willie and Tompall
Glaser.
Down
By The River – Brooklyn Bridge. 4th follow-up to #3 hit “Worst
That Could Happen”, peaked at #91, 2 weeks on the Hot 100 in 7/70. Yes, this was written by Neil Young, and the
Memphis band The Gentrys also had a minor hit with Neil’s “Cinnamon Girl” in
1970.
(Everybody
Want To Get Rich) Rite Away – Dr. John. 2nd follow-up to #9 hit “Right
Place, Wrong Time”, peaked at #92, 4 weeks on the Hot 100 in 5/74.
Everything’s Alright – Yvonne Elliman.
Follow-up to #28 hit “I Don’t Know How To Love Him”, peaked at #92, 6
weeks on the Hot 100 in 10/71. Both
songs were from the Rock Opera Jesus
Christ Superstar. Yvonne would again be a chart presence in the later 70’s
when she hooked up with the Bee Gees.
Land
Of 1000 Dances – Electric Indian. Follow-up to #16 hit “Keem-O-Sabe”, peaked at
#95, 1 week on the BB Hot 100 in 1/70.
This Philadelphia studio group featured Len Barry, formerly of The
Dovells.
Delta
Queen – Don Fardon.
Follow-up to #20 hit “(The Lament Of The Cherokee) Indian Reservation,
peaked at #86, 5 weeks on the BB Hot 100 in 4/74. The Raiders took a cover version of this John
D. Loudermilk tune to #1 for a week in 1971.
Superman
– Donna Fargo.
Follow-up to #5 hit “Funny Face”, peaked at #41, 9 weeks on the BB Hot
100 in 3/73. Donna charted 38 Country
hits between 1972 and 1991.
Funny How Love Can Be – First Class. 2nd follow-up to #4 hit “Beach
Baby”, peaked at #74, 7 weeks on the BB Hot 100 in 6/75. Danny Hutton of Three Dog Night fame did the
original version of this tune in 1966.
Sing A Song For Freedom – Frijid Pink. Follow-up to #7 hit “House Of The Rising
Sun”, peaked at #55, 7 weeks on the BB Hot 100 in 9/70. Fuzzzzz guitar, man.
Your Own Back Yard – Dion. One of the greatest singers of the early
Rockin’ Remnants era (Rock and Roll HOF 1989), made a comeback in 1968 with
“Abraham, Martin And John”, then made a second comeback as a singer/songwriter
in 1970 with this release on Warner Brothers record. Unfortunately, he did not catch on like James
Taylor, Jackson Browne or Carole King.
However, this 45, which peaked at #75, may be the best songs about
confession and redemption ever recorded.
I’m
Coming Home – Stories.
This 45 almost cracked the Top 40 in 1972, peaking at #42, 12 weeks on
the BB Hot 100 in 8/72. The follow up
was “Brother Louie”, BB Hot 100 #1 for 2 weeks on 8/25/73. Two more flop singles spelled the end of the
charting career of this New York City quartet.
Early
Morning Love – Sammy Johns.
Best known for his #5 free love 1970’s classic “Chevy Van”, this was
Sammy’s first BB Hot 100 single, which peaked at #68, 8 weeks on the chart in
12/74. The follow up to “Chevy Van” was
“Rag Doll”, BB Hot 100 #52 in 7/75. Sammy passed away on January 4th,
2013.
Canadian
Corner
I’m
A Stranger Here – Five Man Electrical Band. 3rd follow-up to #3 hit “Signs”,
peaked at #76, 7 weeks on the BB Hot 100 in 6/73. One more Top 40 single from this Ottawa band
was “Absolutely Right”, #26 in 1971
Freedom For The Stallion – Edward Bear. Follow-up to #3 hit “Last Song”, did not
chart here in the States. This song,
written by Allen Toussaint, was a minor
hit for The Hues Corporation in the Summer of 1973, peaking at BB Hot 100 #68.
Here
Comes The Night – Nick Gilder. Follow-up to #1 hit “Hot Child In The City”,
peaked at #44, 8 weeks on the BB Hot 100 in 12/78.
Taste
So Good To Me – Cross Country. Follow up to #30 hit cover version of “In The
Midnight Hour”. This 45 did not chart
nationally, but was another song that received hit status airplay here in
Central New York. The band Cross
Country, comprised of members of The Tokens, released one LP on Atco Records.
Say Goodbye To Little Jo – Steve Forbert. Follow up to #11 hit “Romeo’s Tune” peaked at
# 85, 3 weeks on the BB Hot 100 in 4/80.
Touted as a “new Bob Dylan” in 1979, these were Steve’s only 2 singles to
hit the BB Hot 100.
CLOSING THEME: Sleepwalk – Santo & Johnny (1959, #1 for two weeks)
Hosts Next Week (Nov 16): Kim Vaughan and John Rudan split the show with some more “Forgotten Favorites” of the ‘50s and ‘60s (KV) and the ‘70s (JR)
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 at wvbr.com/listen.
No comments:
Post a Comment