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: 1/31/15
Host: JR
Feature: 1969
This week it’s the chart sounds of early
1969,
and while it was cold outside, the sounds on
the Billboard Hot 100 were hot, with many
singles smokin’ on the
chart! How about The
The Family
Stone, the Motown offerings of
The Temptations, the Supremes and Stevie
Wonder
among many great chart sounds!
We’ll
check out the Birthday Calendar at 7:00
and in the 45 Corner the single version
of
“Condition Red” by the Goodees, a throwback
to the teen dramas of The
Shangi-las, and the
45 version of “Games People Play” by Joe
South, only
available on 7” vinyl, both of these
on the chart on this date 46 years ago.
Playlist
[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
Crimson & Clover – Tommy James & The Shondells –
BB Hot
100 #1, 2 weeks
Bumping Marvin Gaye’s “Grapevine” from #1
after 7 weeks,
this was the psychedelic 60’s on the singles chart at its
best. The version we are hearing tonight
is from the original LP and includes some studio chatter at the beginning and the non pitch-shifted guitar freak out in
the middle. A Rockin’ Remnants vinyl exclusive!
Everyday People – Sly & The Family Stone – BB Hot 100
#2
This inspirational 45 would ascend to #1 in
2 weeks and sit
I Started A Joke – The Bee Gees – BB Hot 100 #7
Featuring the lead vocal of the late Robin
Gibb, this peaked
at Hot 100 #6.
Soulful Strut – Young-Holt Unlimited –BB Hot 100 #8
The 2 main members of this duo, bassist
Eldee Young and
drummer Red Holt, were part of the Ramsey Lewis Trio. The other member of “Unlimited” was pianist
Don Walker.
Can I Change My Mind – Tyrone Davis – BB Hot 100 #11
The first Hot 100 chart hit for this
Saginaw, Michigan native,
peaked at #5 on Dakar Records, a subsidiary of
Atlantic
Records. This and “Turn Back
The Hands of Time” were his
only Top Ten pop hits, although he scored over 40
hits on
the R&B chart, 1968-1988.
If I Can Dream – Elvis Presley – BB Hot 100 #12
Elvis’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, and
RCA Records
made sure Elvis had a single on the chart every week for
over 20
years starting in 1956, an incredible 145 45’s!
This
one, taken from a live show, peaked on the Hot 100 this
week in
1969.
Going Up The Country – Canned Heat– BB Hot 100 #15
Canned Heat was steeped in the Blues, but
that didn’t stop
them from releasing pop hits, too. This was their highest
charter, peaking at
Hot 100 #11.
You Showed Me – The Turtles – BB Hot 100 #17
This was the last gasp on the chart for
this California combo,
who made their debut in 1965 and took this to Hot 100
#6.
Hey Jude – Wilson Pickett – BB Hot 100 #23
The Beatles version (#1, 9 weeks) was still
on the chart,
when Pickett’s soulful cover made its debut on the Hot 100!
The great solo part is played by the then yet
unknown guitar whiz, Duane "Skydog" Allman.
Cinnamon – Derek – BB Hot 100 #26
Derek was a group fronted by Johnny Cymbal,
who’s other
Hot 100 hit was “Mr. Bass Man” in 1963. This was his
highest charter, peaking at Hot
100 #11. Cymbal died of a
heart attack
in 1993, age 48.
California Soul – The 5th Dimension – BB Hot 100 #27
An Ashford/Simpson composition, this peaked
at Hot 100
#25.
45 Corner
Condition Red – The Goodees – BB Hot 100 #54
One hearing
this on the AM radio in 1969 would think they
were hearing the “oldie”, “Leader
Of The Pack” by the
Shangri-las from 4 years previous! Released on the tiny
H.I.P. label, this sat
on the Hot 100 at #54 this week, and
would peak at #46 for this female trio
from Memphis. As
they say, fame is
fleeting; no more charters for this group.
Love Child – Diana Ross And The Supremes – BB Hot
100 #29
Cloud Nine – The Temptations – BB Hot 100 #30
For Once In My Life – Stevie Wonder – BB Hot 100 #31
Motown Records was still a major chart
force in 1969, as
evidenced by the above 3 singles in the Top 40 this
week.
“Love Child” peaked at #1 for 2
weeks, the psychedelic
Tempts peaked at #6 and won a Grammy for best R&B
performance, and Stevie peaked at #2 for 2 weeks, before
beginning his rocket
ship chart ride through the 1970’s.
7- 8 pm
Birthday Calendar
January 25th
– Etta James (nee Jamesetta Hawkins), 1938
January 26th
– Huey “Piano” Smith, 81
January 27th
– Bobby “Blue” Bland, 1930
January 30th
– Marty Balin (Jefferson Airplane), 73
Phil Collins, 64
January 31st
– Harry Wayne Casey (“KC”), 64
Terry Kath (Chicago),
1946
“At Last” – Etta James,
1961
Etta released all her
singles on Chess Records, and its subsidiaries Argo and Cadet, and while not
having much pop success, she is acknowledged as one of the great blues and jazz
singers of the 20th century; inducted into the Rock And Roll HOF in
1993.
“Don’t You Just Know It”
– Huey “Piano” Smith And The Clowns, 1958
Huey’s piano playing was
influential in the early days of Rock’n’Roll, and this single featuring Bobby
Marchan on vocals peaked on the pop chart at #9.
“Let The Good Times
Roll” – Bobby Bland & B.B. King, 1976
A duet with his buddy
Riley did not chart on the Hot 100, but was Top 20 on the R&B chart.
“It’s No Secret” –
Jefferson Airplane, 1966
The first single
released from Takes Off featuring a nice lead vocal
from Marty Balin. This 45 DNC, and it would be a year later when the Airplane
really took off! Marty is the guy with the tie on the right, next to original lead singer Signe Toly Anderson.
“I Missed Again” – Phil
Collins, 1981
After stepping in for
Peter Gabriel as lead vocalist of Genesis in 1976, Phil embarked on a solo
career in 1981 with this single, featuring the Earth, Wind & Fire horn
section.
“Give It Up” – KC, 1983
KC rode the disco wave
with The Sunshine Band in the 70’s, and he came up with one last gasp of
blue-eyed soul with this offering from 1983; peaked at Hot 100 #18.
“Dialogue (Part I &II)" (45 version) – Chicago, 1972
Terry Kath had the most
soulful voice of the Chicago lead vocalists, and this duet with Peter Cetera
peaked at Hot 100 #24; Kath died of an accidental shooting on 1/23/1978, age
31.
More Chart Sounds from 01/31/1969
Goodnight My Love – Paul Anka – BB Hot 100 #36
Former Canadian teen heartthrob, Paul had
“comeback” in
the late 60’s and the mid 70’s.
This cover version of a Jesse
Belvin tune peaked at Hot 100 #27. The Belvin version was
the closing theme of
Rockin’ Remnants in the 1970’s!
But You Know I Love You – The First Edition – BB Hot
100 #44
The second Top 40 hit for this Texas combo
peaked at Hot
100 #19. Future releases
would feature the name of their
lead singer, the star of this Geico TV commercial.
Soul Shake – Peggy Scott & Jo Jo Benson – BB Hot 100
#46
This highest debut single on the Hot 100
this week, it would
only make it to #37.
A cover version by Delaney & Bonnie
& Friends peaked at Hot 100
#43 in 1970.
Sweet Cream Ladies – The Box Tops – BB Hot 100 #51
This Memphis-based combo led by the soulful
vocals of
teenage Alex Chilton had a singles chart run from 1967 to
1970. This offering peaked at Hot 100 #28.
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da – Arthur Conley – BB Hot 100 #55
Last charting single for this Stax Records
soul singer, was a
cover version of a White
Album Beatles track, never
released as a single by the Liverpudlians.
45 Corner
Games People Play (45 version) – Joe South – BB Hot
100 #34
The first top
40 single for this prolific songwriter peaked at
Hot 100 #12, and features some
cool electric sitar lines and
nice orchestration. This mono 45 is not available on LP or
CD. The original pressing featured the Capitol
Records
orange and yellow “swirl” label (one of the last 45’s to be
pressed on
that 60’s iconic 45 label). The consensus seems
to be
that the mono 45 version and the stereo LP version
have different vocal
takes.
Not On The Outside – The Moments – BB Hot 100 #64
The Hot 100 chart debut for this soul trio,
who later became
Ray, Goodman & Brown, peaked at #57 and #8 on the R&B
chart.
I Got A Line On You – Spirit – BB Hot 100 #70
This SoCal combo received both AM and FM
airplay in the
late 60’s and early 70’s and cranked out one classic LP, The
Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus, in
1970.
Grits Ain’t Groceries – Little Milton – BB Hot 100 #89
James Milton Campbell was a blues guitarist
who recorded
for Chess Records in Chicago from 1965 to 1970, and while
charting
9 singles on the Hot 100, never had one reach
higher than #25. This single released peaked at Hot 100
#73.
8 - 9pm Happy Hour
"Bloody Well Right" - Supertramp, 1975
The first charting single on the Hot 100 for this British Prog Rock unit peaked at #35.
"Time Passages" (45 version) - Al Stewart, 1978
Meticulously produced by Alan Parsons, this peaked at Hot 100 #7, and this singles version is not available on LP or CD.
"Judy Mae" - Boomer Castleman, 1975
Boomer (real name: Owen) was also part of the 60's duo The Lewis and Clarke Expedition ("I Feel Good, I Feel Bad", Hot 100 #64, 1967).
"(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want To Be Right" - Barbara Mandrell, 1979
The original version of this by Luther Ingram reached Hot 100 #3 in 1972 on KoKo Records. Barbara's country cover peaked at Hot 100 #31.
"You Dropped A Bomb On Me" (45 version) - The GAP Band, 1982
This trio of brothers from Oklahoma (Charlie, Robert and Ronnie Wilson) charted 33 hits on the R&B chart between 1977-1995. This peaked at Hot 100 #31.
"You Should Hear How She Talks About You" - Melissa Manchester, 1982
Melissa won a Grammy for Pop Female Vocal for this, which was her last Top 40 single, Hot 100 #5.
"Theme From 'The Greatest American Hero' (Believe It Or Not)" - Joey Scarbury, 1981
This show ran on ABC-TV from 1981-1983, and has an interesting history: click here to find out more! Joey took this to Hot 100 #2 for 3 weeks.
"Get Closer" - Seals & Crofts, 1976
Last Top Ten single for this Texas duo peaked at Hot 100 #6.
"I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" - Donnie Elbert, 1972
Some nice falsetto vocals by Donnie took this Motown cover to Hot 100 #22 on Avco Records.
Some nice falsetto vocals by Donnie took this Motown cover to Hot 100 #22 on Avco Records.
"Hey, St. Peter" - Flash And The Pan, 1979
"Driver's Seat" - Sniff 'N' The Tears, 1979
Both AM and FM hits back in the day, both of these were played on the turntable from their original radio promo LP's!
Host Next Week, 2/7, JS
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