February 28, 2015 - JR - 1981

Rockin' Remnants




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Date:  Feb 28, 2015
Host: JR
Feature:  1981

This week it’s the chart sounds of early 1981, and yes oldies

fans, time marches on and so does the music you hear on 

oldies shows and oldies stations.  There are some great 

sounds echoing the 1970’s from Neil Diamond, Don McLean,

 Delbert McLinton, Steve Winwood, Abba, Blondie, Steely 

Dan, REO Speedwagon, and more!  We’ll check out the 

Birthday Calendar at 7:00, the 45 Corner features Grover 

Washington Jr. with Bill Withers, and wind down the show 

with the Happy Hour with some great 70’s and, of course, 

our spotlight date of 1981!

Playlist


[songs in bold are from the spotlight date of 2-28-1981; 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]


6pm-7pm 



OPENING THEME:  Good Old Rock ‘n’ Roll – Cat Mother & the All-Night Newsboys (1969, #29, produced by Jimi Hendrix)

I Love A Rainy Night – Eddie Rabbit – BB Hot 100 #1, 2 

weeks

The late Eddie Rabbit, country singer/songwriter from East 

Orange, NJ, charted 43 hits on the 

country chart 1974 – 1991.  This was his lone Hot 100 #1.

Keep On Loving You – REO Speedwagon – BB Hot 100 

#5

This would ascend to #1 in 4 weeks and sit on the top of the 

Hot 100 for 1 week in 1981.

TheBest Of Times – Styx – BB Hot 100 #6

This Chicago-area banned toiled through the 1970’s and 

finally broke through in 1975 with “Lady”.  This single, from

 the thematic LP Paradise Theatre, peaked at Hot 100 #3, 

while Paradise Theatre was the only Styx album to reach 

the top of the Billboard Album Chart

.

The Tide Is High – Blondie – BB Hot 100 #7

Debbie Harry and Blondie were one of the best-selling 

bands of the late 70’s and early 80’s, receiving airplay on 

both AM and FM radio.  This was moving down the chart 

after peaking at #1 on 1/31/1981.

GivingIt Up For Your Love – Delbert McClinton – BB

 Hot 100 #8

This is the man who taught John Lennon to play the 

harmonica while touring England with Bruce Channel in 

1962.  This was Delbert’s lone foray into the Top 10 and 

check out some great blue-eyed soul vocals from Bonnie

Bramlett.

The Winner Takes It All – ABBA – BB Hot 100 #10

Time was running out on the chart life for this Swedish 

quartet.  This was their last Top 10 single here stateside,

 peaking at Hot 100 #8.

Crying – Don McLean – BB Hot 100 #11

Don became a chart recluse in the aftermath of the 

“American Pie” hubbub.  This was a nice comeback single

 for him, a Roy Orbison cover, peaking at Hot 100 #5.

Hello Again – Neil Diamond – BB Hot 100 #14

Having conquered the music world, Neil tried out his hand 

at acting, starring and writing the soundtrack for The Jazz 

Singer.  The movie was panned by the critics, but the 

soundtrack yielded 3 Top 10 singles, including this one,

 which peaked at Hot 100 #6 (The other songs were “Love 

On The Rocks” and “America”).

Hey Nineteen – Steely Dan – BB Hot 100 #17

The Dan rolled into the 80’s with the LP Gaucho, and this 

single which peaked at Hot 100 #10, their penultimate hit on 

the chart.

 45 Corner

Just The Two Of Us – Grover Washington, Jr. (with Bill 

Withers) – BB Hot 100 #41

The original 45 release of this on Elektra Records did not 

credit Bill Withers on vocals (the LP, however, does; he also 

co-wrote it).  Subsequent releases have given Bill his due.

The 45 version trimmed about 3 minutes from the LP 

version, mostly the sax solo by Washington, Jr.

“Mony, Mony” – Tommy James And The Shondells, 1968

 A Hot 100 #3 hit for this band, a live cover version by Billy 

Idol peaked at #1 on 11/21/1997 for 1 week.

“Red Rubber Ball” – The Cyrkle, 1966

John Lennon thought up the groovy name for this band, and

Paul Simon co-wrote this song; some nice lineage! This 

peaked at Hot 100 #2.

7pm-8pm

Birthday Calendar

February 23^rd – Johnny Winter, 1944

                          Rusty Young (Poco), 69

                             

 February 24^th – Paul Jones (Manfred Mann), 71

                          Rupert Holmes, 68

   

February 25^th – Emmit Rhodes, 65

                         George Harrison, 1943

February 26^th – Fats Domino, 87

                         Paul Cotton (Poco), 73 

                         Mitch Ryder (William Levise), 70

                         Johnny Cash, 1932                      

   

February 27^th – Guy Mitchell, 1927

February 28^th – Joe South, 1940

                         Brian Jones, 1942                       

“Lady Jane” – The Rolling Stones, 1966

Brian Jones was just a background vocalist for The Stones, but he was definitely the most talented musician in the band, playing guitar, sitar, keyboards, bouzouki, recorder, and on this the dulcimer, giving it a somewhat ethereal sound. Add to that, Jack “Specs” Nitzche gives a nice harpsichord obbligato.

“Birds Of A Feather” – Joe South, 1969

This single was a pop flop, peaking at Hot 100 #96, 1 week on the chart.  However, a cover version by the The Raiders was a #23 hit in 1971. Click here to see Joe’s songwriting credits.

“Heartaches By The Number” – Guy Mitchell, 1959

Guy (ne Al Cernik in Detroit) had one of the biggest hits of the early Rock And Roll era: “Singing The Blues”, #1 for 10 weeks in 1956!  This also hit the top of The Hot 100 for 2 weeks in 1959.

“Ring Of Fire” – Johnny Cash, 1963

One of Johnny’s biggest pop hits, Hot 100 #17, this was co-written by his wife, June Carter.

“Jenny Take A Ride!” – Mitch Ryder And The Detroit Wheels, 1966

The first charting hit for this hot Detroit band was a medley of “Jenny, Jenny” (Little Richard) and “C.C. Rider” (Chuck Willis); peaked at Hot 100 #10.

“Crazy Love” – Poco, 1979

A nice comeback LP (Legend), and single for this country-rock band in 1979.  Happy Birthday to Rusty Young (pedal steel) and Paul Cotton (guitar)!

“Ain’t  It (That) A Shame” – Fats Domino, 1955

The very first pop chart hit for Antoine “Fats” Domino peaked on the Billboard chart at #10, the start of a long string of hits for this original Rock And Roller: a true legend. Take your choice of titles!

“When We Was Fab” – George Harrison, 1987

Jeff Lynne (ELO) produced the album Cloud Nine, and this single, a look back at George’s days as a Beatle.

“You’re A Very Lovely Woman” – Emmit Rhodes and The Merry-Go-Round, 1967

Emmit Rhodes was the leader of this L.A. pop combo and was a critic’s darling which did not translate to chart success: maybe one of the great lost bands of the 60’s?  Linda Ronstadt covered this in 1971 as “(She’s A) Very Lovely Woman”.

“Do Wah Diddy Diddy” – Manfred Mann, 1964

One of the big #1 smashes of the first British Invasion, this Barry/Greenwich tune features the vocals of birthday boy Paul Jones.

“Timothy” – The Buoys, 1971

Rupert Holmes was the manager and musical arranger for this Scranton, PA, band, and got a one-off deal with Scepter Records for a single with no promotion.  Holmes and the band created their own publicity by telling the tale of cannibalism in a collapsed mine, not exactly your Top 40 fare in the early 70’s.  The plan worked and the phones lit up all over the country with requests for the haunting tale of “Timothy”.  By this time Scepter knew they had a big hit on their hands, and released a “clean” version for those stations that didn’t want to play the cannibal version. The record eventually climbed to Hot 100 #17, The Buoys only hit.

 “LittleArrows” (45 version) – Leapy Lee, 1968

Leapy was born Lee Graham, and this was hit only Hot 100 hit.  Tonight you heard the 45 vinyl mono version, slightly longer with a different ending than the stereo LP version, and only available on the 7” single.

“Treat Her Right” – Roy Head, 1965

This slice of Texas blues climbed to #2 on the Hot 100; the late Johnny Winter was a latter-day member of Roy’s backup band, The Traits.

“I’m Not Your Stepping Stone” – The Monkees, 1966

This garage-rock classic was penned by Boyce and Hart, and was the flip-side of “I’m a Believer”.

“Gimme Gimme Good Lovin’ – Crazy Elephant, 1969

From the golden age of “Bubblegum Music”, this ditty peaked at Hot 100 #12.

“What Kind Of Fool Do You Think I Am” – Bill Deal & The Rhondells, 1969

“Zabadak” – Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, 1968

Click here to view the interesting history of this British combo.  This was their only U.S. hit, peaking at #52.

8pm – 9pm  Happy Hour.  Sounds of the 70’s & 80’s

“Trampled Under Foot” – Led Zeppelin, 1975

This rare Led Zep single peaked at Hot 100 #38.  The LP 

Physical Graffiti, just celebrated its 40^th anniversary release.

 View some details here:

“Good Lovin’” – Grateful Dead, 1978

“Juke Box Music” – The Kinks, 1977

The second single released from the LP Sleepwalker did not

 chart here in the States.

“Ballroom Blitz” – The Sweet, 1975

“Mother Freedom” (45 version) – Bread, 1971

Breaking out of their “soft-rock” sound, Bread took this

 guitar-driven classic to Hot 100 #37.

More hits from 2/28/1981

Games People Play – Alan Parsons Project – BB Hot 100

 #22

This studio group, helmed by super-producer Parsons,

 charted a half dozen singles on the Hot 100, with this one

 peaking at #16.

SmokeyMountain Rain – Ronnie Milsap – BB Hot 100

 #24

Ronnie charted 35 #1 hits on the Billboard country chart 

from 1973 – 2000, and had a brief run in the early 80’s, with 

5 Top 40 hits on the Hot 100.

While You See A Chance – Steve Winwood – BB Hot 100 

#30

The former blues and psychedelic rock prodigy had been 

pretty quiet in the 70’s, but as the 80’s kicked off, so did a 

long solo career for the former member of The Spencer

 Davis Band and Traffic.  The first release off the LP Arc Of 

A Diver peaked at Hot 100 #7.

PreciousTo Me – Phil Seymour – BB Hot 100 #33

Phil started his career as a guitarist for The Dwight Twilley 

Band, before exploring a more pop sound in his solo career.

 Phil died from cancer on 8/17/1993, age 41.

Ain’tEven Done With The Night – John Cougar – BB Hot

100 #48

The pre-Mellencamp John had the second release from his 

second LP peak at Hot 100 #17; produced by the legendary 

Steve Cropper.

AngelOf The Morning – Juice Newton – BB Hot 100 #54

This cover version of the Merilee Rush tune, peaked at Hot 

100 #4, 3 spots higher than the original version.

I Can’t Stand It – Eric Clapton And His Band – BB Hot 

100 #63

This highest debut single on the Hot 100 this week in 1981,

 this peaked at #10.

Wasn’t That A Party – The Rovers – BB Hot 100 #72

This group, formerly The Irish Rovers, has just 1 Top 40 hit 

under their new moniker, and this was it, Hot 100 #37, their 

first hit in 13 years.

Host Next Week (March 7th):  JS





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