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!)
Date: November 8, 2014
Host: John Simon
Feature: Spotlight on Studio Musicians
Here's the Facebook "teaser."
"Another Saturday night and I ain't got nobody....but I've got three hours of airtime, and a killer theme: Unsung Studio Heroes. This goes beyond The Wrecking Crew and Funk Brothers, but some of them will be in the mix. And....I've got a pair of Dark Star Orchestra tix up for grabs. Who's in??? 6-9 p.m. Eastern Time. C'mon people now, smile on your brother....."
Birthday Calendar
November 2 – Jay Black (Jay & The Americans) – age 76
November 3 – Lulu (Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie) – age 66
November 5 – Art Garfunkel – 73 years old
– Peter Blair Denis Bernard Noone (Hermans Hermits) – age 67
November 6 – Doug Sahm (Sir Douglas) –born in 1941
November 7 – Mary Travers (Peter, Paul & Mary) – born
in 1939
– Johnny Rivers – age 72
– Joni Mitchell – age 71
November 8 – Bonnie Bramlett – age 70
– Bonnie Raitt – age 65
– Rickie Lee Jones – age 60
Playlist
[songs in bold are from the spotlight date of DATE; 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
OPENING THEME: Good Old Rock ‘n’ Roll – Cat Mother & the All-Night Newsboys (1969, #29, produced by Jimi Hendrix)
Nashville Cats – Lovin' Spoonful (12/66; #8 - we kick off tonight's edition with John Sebastian's tongue-in-cheek tribute to some of the studio players in the heart of C&W country)
Harper Valley PTA – Jeannie C. Riley (9/68; #1 Pop, #1 C&W for 3 weeks - featuring some of those self-same "Nashville cats," this single won a CMA prize for Record of the Year)
You Keep Me Hangin' On – Supremes (11/66; #1 Pop and R&B - featuring the churning musicianship of the Motown Records "house band" known unofficially as the Funk Brothers)
Mickey's Monkey – Miracles (8/63; #8, #3 R&B - another Funk Brothers track)
Spotlight on studio guitar player Reggie Young, an original member of Bill Black's Combo who went onto become Chips Moman's "go-to guy" at American Sound Studios in Memphis. His sitar-like sound was very big in 1968.
Cry Like a Baby – Box Tops (3/68; #2)
Hooked On a Feeling – BJ Thomas (11/68; #5 - this record would slowly climb to #5 in January of 1969 and linger on the chart until March of that year)
Son of a Preacher Man – Dusty Springfield (12/68; #10 - from her LP Dusty in Memphis, this song was originally offered to Aretha Franklin who deemed it too "racy" for a preacher's daughter to sing. Rolling Stone Magazine lists it at #491 of the Top 500 Singles of All-Time)
Spotlight on British drummer Bobbie Graham, who clandestinely played on many of the Dave Clark 5 and early Kinks recordings.
Any Way You Want It – Dave Clark 5 (11/64; #14 - perhaps the most explosive record of the British Invasion, drenched in reverb and featuring the superb vocals of the under-rated Mike Smith.)
Stay Awhile – Dusty Springfield (3/64; #38, #13 UK - this one was a spot-on copy of a Phil Spector production)
Spotlight on NYC drummer Buddy Saltzman. He & Gary Chester were the East Coast equivalents of the West Coast's Hal Blaine. He was the "go-to guy" for the 4 Seasons. Music critic Dave Marsh had this to say about his playing on one track: "Walk Like a Man opens with drums that sound like they were played by God, announcing itself so forcefully that the record's already a guaranteed smash before Valli ever opens his mouth."
The Rain, The Park and Other Things – Cowsills (10/67; #2 for two weeks - the group that served as the prototype for television's Partridge Family played well enough live, but relied on studio players for their big debut single. Drumming away was Buddy Saltzman.)
Dawn (Go Away) – 4 Seasons (2/64; #3 for three weeks - the only thing keeping this one out of the top slot on the Hot 100 was the surprise arrival of The Beatles. This record has been described as "a drum solo with vocals," courtesy of Buddy Saltzman.)
Spotlight on studio guitarists Al Casey and Vinnie Bell. Al Casey was a staple of LA's "Wrecking Crew," and got his start with Duane Eddy. He later did many sessions with producer Lee Hazelwood. Vinnie Bell was the originator of the "watery guitar sound" and invented the first electric sitar. He also played in the Hullabaloo band, backing up all of the latest stars when they appeared on the TV show.
Something Stupid – Frank & Nancy Sinatra (4/67; #1 for four weeks - the original recording by husband-and-wife duo Carson & Gaile featured the nylon guitar picking of Al Casey. Frank Sinatra specifically requested his presence on this recording, which became the first father/daughter #1 of the R'n'R era.)
Everybody's Talkin' – Nilsson (8/69; #6 - songwriter Fred Neil's version was originally going to be used in the film Midnight Cowboy, but Fred refused to record the requested faster version. Nilsson's version became the definitive version in the eyes/ears of the record-buying public)
Theme from Midnight Cowboy – Ferrante & Teicher (11/69; #10 - featuring the "watery guitar" of studio player Vinnie Bell)
This Magic Moment – Jay & The Americans (12/68; #6 - a surprise hit for the NYC group, with a bunch of no-name studio players in a no-name NYC studio.)
The End of the World – Herman's Hermits (7/65; released as the b-side of Henry the Eighth and featuring the uncredited guitar work of session player Jimmy Page, along with future Led Zeppelin member John Paul Jones on bass guitar)
Shout! – Lulu & The Luvvers (8/64; #94, #7 UK - featuring the drumming of Clem Cattini. Lulu's cover of the Isley Brothers' hit would be re-released in the US three years later to capitalize on the success of To Sir with Love, but would only reach #96)
Baby I Need Your Lovin' – Johnny Rivers (2/67; #3 - featuring the anonymous background vocals of Darlene Love and The Blossoms)
Leavin' On a Jet Plane – Peter, Paul & Mary (12/69; #1 - written by John Denver and featuring lead vocals by Mary Travers, but the unsung hero here is Dick Kniss, who played on all of PP&M's records as an uncredited member of the trio/quartet)
* (Is Anybody Goin' To) San Antone – Doug Sahm (3/73; #115 - we got a request for anything featuring "Blind Boy Grunt," which is an alias used by none other than Bob Dylan. Dylan lends some vocal and harmonica support to this cool little slice o' vinyl from 1973.)
Sounds of Silence – Simon & Garfunkel (1/66; #1 - originally released as an acoustic album track in 1964, this one was resurrected by producer Tom Wilson, who overdubbed electric guitars, bass and drums. The guitar part was played by Vinnie Bell, who had a funny encounter with Paul Simon on the taping of the Hullabaloo show.)
Walk On By – Dionne Warwick (4/64; #6 - this Bacharach/David classic features the distinct "chick" sound that guitarist Vinnie Bell added at the end of each phrase. (Notice the 45 does not credit Hal David).
Calendar Girl – Neil Sedaka (2/61; #4 Pop, #22 R&B - the personnel on this record is a veritable "who's who" of NYC Jazz musicians: Al Caiola, Buck Pizzarelli and Art Reyerson on guitar, George Duvivier on bass, Ernie Hayes on piano, Jerome Richardson on saxophone and David "Panama" Francis on drums!)
[at this point in the show we lost our signal. Coincidentally, I had just begun to play a string of unrelated-to-the-theme requests]
* 59th Street Bridge Song – Simon & Garfunkel (3/67; buried on the b-side of At the Zoo, this was soon recorded by Harpers' Bizarre, who took it to the Top Ten)
* Leader of the Pack – Shangri-Las (11/64; #1 - produced by the legendary Shadow Morton and recorded in NYC. Read all about it here!)
* Love (Can Make You Happy) – Mercy (5/69; #2 - a surprise hit on the Sundi Records label from a film nobody ever saw... called "Fireball Jungle. Click here to see a clip of Mercy performing their hit in the movie!)
* Little Green Apples – O.C. Smith (8/68; #2 - requested but not played during the Apple Festival, this one won a Grammy for Song of the Year in 1968)
* Get Together – Youngbloods ( 9/67; #62, re-released 6/69; #5 - requested in the aftermath of the mid-term elections, this one was rescued from obscurity when it was used in a radio PSA by the National Conference of Christians and Jews in 1969)
Runaway – Bonnie Raitt (5/77; #57 - a re-make of the Del Shannon hit, this one featured background vocals by a relatively unknown Michael McDonald.)
* Big Yellow Taxi – Joni Mitchell (7/70; #67 - a "live" version would be released two years later and nearly make the Top Twenty. Meanwhile, charting versions were also recorded by The Neighborhood, Amy Grant and Counting Crows.)
Chuck E's in Love – Rickie Lee Jones (4/79; #4 - her debut single from her debut album won her a Grammy for Best New artist in 1979)
I Believe When I Fall in Love – Art Garfunkel (12/75; from the Breakaway album, built on the piano playing of Larry Knechtel - who had taken home a Grammy for his playing on Bridge Over Troubled Water back in 1971.)
* Only You Know and I Know – Delaney & Bonnie (9/71; #20. Written by their buddy and perpetual sideman Dave Mason)
Oh Me Oh My (I'm a Fool for You Baby) – Lulu (12/69; #22 - recorded in Muscle Shoals as her debut single for the Atlantic Records family)
Once You Get Started – Rufus, featuring Chaka Khan (2/75; #10 Pop, #4 R&B)
Spotlight on Louie Shelton: originally from Little Rock, AK, he played on many sessions, most notably including the early Jackson 5 records and a number of Monkees' records.
45 Corner: Valleri – Monkees (3/68; #3 - written by Boyce & Hart and featuring the blistering guitar licks of Louie Shelton. Tonight we hear the punchy mono 45. Click on the video to see a self-conscious Mike Nesmith pretend he's playing the Louie Shelton lines....)
Hello – Lionel Richie (5/84; #1) - yet another Lionel Richie-penned chart-topping ballad. This one features a jazzy guitar solo by Mr. Louie Shelton.)
Host Next Week (11/15/14): Kim Vaughan with a spotlight
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.
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