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: 8/13/16
Host: John Simon
Feature: The Rains Came
Sort of like shooting fish in a barrel, but we're starting off with some thunder and lightning tonight. So far, the Cascades, The Ronettes, The Doors and The Who (last two by request). C'mon over - it's cheap date night and you're in the club!
Birthday Calendar
August 7 – BJ Thomas – age 74
August 8 – Joe Tex – born in 1933
August 9 – Barbara Mason – age 69
August 10 – Ronnie Spector – age 73
– Bobby Hatfield (Righteous Bros) – born in 1940
August 11 – Eric Carmen – age 67
August 12 – Buck Owens – born in 1929
– Mark Knopfler – age 67
August 13 – Dan Fogelberg – born in 1951
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)
Rhythm Of The Rain - Cascades (1/63; #3 - starting with a crash of thunder and ending with "pitter patter, pitter patter," this is one of the iconic rain songs of the era. The perfect way to kick off a tribute to the welcome sounds of thunder and rain after a Summer-long drought.)
Walking In The Rain - Ronettes (10/64; #23 - a rumble of thunder, a slow-building wall of sound...this record earned arranger Jack Nitzsche a Grammy nomination. Rolling Stone ranks it at #266 in the RS500.)
* Riders On The Storm - The Doors (7/71; #14 - rain and thunder sounds, mixed with Ray Manzarek's cascading keyboard lines. This is the 45 edit, which lops a couple of minutes off the oft-played LP version, and has its own sound effects unique to this edit.)
* Love, Reign O'er Me - The Who (12/73; #76 - from the Quadrophenia LP. The caller acknowledged that it was a stretch, word-wise - but "cool, cool rain" certainly sounded refreshing.)
Raindrops - Dee Clark (5/61; #2 - a crash of thunder, an acoustic guitar, and then the soulful voice of Mr. Dee Clark rising to a frenzied finish.)
* Rhapsody In The Rain - Lou Christie (4/66; #16 - the follow-up to a big #1 record that almost didn't get played on the radio due to its suggestive lyrics - going out to Woody in Danby.)
I Can Hear The Rain - Reparata & The Delrons (1967; dnc - the girls moved to RCA Records and recorded some terrific singles that never made a dent in the charts or airwaves. This was one of the best of the lot.)
Rain On The Roof - Lovin' Spoonful (10/68; #10 - a gentle lilting romantic rain song by a band coming to the end of their time together.)
The Rains Came - Sir Douglas Quintet (2/66; #31 - the unmistakable sounds of this ragtag Tex Mex quintet on an underplayed classic.)
* Kentucky Rain - Elvis Presley (2/70; #16 - Elvis' 128th single sailed into the Top Twenty as his career was re-booted by a successful comeback tour. This song was written by Eddie Rabbitt, featured Ronnie Milsap in the band and was produced by Chips Moman.)
As Tears Go By - Rolling Stones (12/65; #6 - Mick & Keith had given this one to Marianne Faithfull a year earlier and she took it to #22. Their version was released on Christmas day and just missed the Top 5.)
* Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head - BJ Thomas (11/69; #1 for four weeks - a request from "Joe the Cabbie," and it's fitting - BJ Thomas is on our birthday calendar this week. This Bacharach/David composition took home the Academy Award for Best Song that year.)
A Song That Never Comes - Mama Cass (8/70; #99 - this had been released by Cashman & West two years earlier, but it made little noise. Cass Elliott's version only made slightly more noise, but it's a great song about falling rain.)
Unchained Melody - Righteous Brothers (7/65; #4 - this Bobby Hatfield solo performance was originally slated to be the b-side of Hung On You. It was re-released twenty-five years later after its appearance in the film "Ghost," when it made it to #13. Rolling Stone ranks it at #365 in the RS500.)
Yes I'm Ready - Barbara Mason (5/65; #5 pop, #2 R&B for three weeks - one of the classic Soul ballads of the Sixties. Teri DeSario & Harry "K.C." Casey would take in to #2 fifteen years later, but this is the definitive version.)
I Want To (Do Everything For You) - Joe Tex (8/65; #23 Pop, #1 R&B - nearly half of Joe's records were novelty/comedy records. The other half were full-tilt love songs. This is of the latter variety.)
Act Naturally - Buck Owens (4/63; dnc Pop, #1 C&W for four weeks - a big Country hit that found millions of new listeners when the Beatles released it as vehicle for Ringo. Its inclusion on the b-side of The Beatles' Yesterday made songwriter Johnny Russell a REALLY wealthy man.)
River Deep Mountain High - Ike & Tina Turner (5/66; #88 - Phil Spector considered this his crowning glory and was crushed when it flopped. He actually left show biz for a few years as a result. Rolling Stone ranks it at #33 in the RS500.)
Don't Play That Song (You Lied) - Ben E King (4/62; #11 Pop, #2 R&B for four weeks - this is basically the same chord pattern as Stand By Me, and tonight you get the mono 45 version.)
Take Me For What I'm Worth - Searchers (1/66; #76 - a lost treasure from one of the great British Invasion bands.)
* I Can Hear Music - Beach Boys (3/69; #24 - the Ronettes had barely scraped into the Hot 100 with this one three years earlier, but the Beach Boys turned it into a record for the ages.)
* End Of The World - Skeeter Davis (1/63; #2 Pop - Joel Whitburn calls this "the most successful 'crossover' hit on the four major Billboard charts: #1 AC, #2 C&W, #2 Pop, #4 R&B!")
* Leader Of The Pack - Shangri-Las (11/64; #1 - going out to Barbara from Danby. One of her favorites!)
* Tell Him - The Exciters (12/62; #4 - the caller said "I haven't heard that one in a long, long time.")
* Lady Madonna - Beatles (3/68; #4 - two sets of listeners to tonight's show were at the Paul McCartney concert in the Capitol area a few days earlier. I consulted my friend Abby in Virginia and she provided a list that included these two.)
* And I Love Her - Beatles (7/64; #12 - one of a string of singles featured in the film A Hard Day's Night. Tasty!)
Overnight Sensation (Hit Record) - Raspberries (9/74; #14 - Eric Carmen was a terrific writer and performer, and he really wanted this to be a smash. It may have been a little too long - or maybe the false ending was off-putting to radio people. Either way, here it is for his birthday!)
* Fantasy - Earth, Wind & Fire (3/78; #32 Pop - listener Ellen was just rolling into town from a reunion with friends and was in the mood for "...some Earth, Wind & Fire or maybe some Santana." She left the choice to me. Turn it up!)
Imagine - Chet Atkins & Mark Knopfler (1987 - from The Secret Policeman's Third Ball LP - a fundraiser for Amnesty International - here's a gorgeous duet of the John Lennon composition. Happy birthday to Mark Knopfler.)
* Jingo - Santana (10/69; #56 - the first single from their major label debut album, hot on the heels of their star-making appearance at Woodstock. Critics were divided at the time, but this is widely recognized as a seminal album of the era.)
* Hot Love - T Rex (5/72; #72 Pop, #1 in the UK for four weeks - our man Chip suggested this one, and it didn't fail to surprise. Marc Bolan and Company would hit it big a few months later in the States, but they were already "big" in the UK.)
* Walking To Memphis - Marc Cohn (3/91; #13 - the call for this one came in shortly after we played Elvis in the "rain set." It's clearly beyond our era, but we make exceptions on occasion. Also...I really like this song.)
Open The Door (Song For Judith) - Judy Collins (12/71; #90 - a low-charter for the blue-eyed chanteuse. One of its coolest elements is the slide guitar work of Ry Cooder here.)
Hijack - Herbie Mann (2/75; #14 - the Jazz flautist had several crossover hits. This is a radio station promo 45 that edits out a couple of minutes and results in a great little dance record.)
Pinball Wizard/See Me, Feel Me - New Seekers (2/73; #29 - The Who released their version in 1968 and cracked the Top Twenty, but this version surprisingly cooks! Their first three hits were Melanie covers, followed by a Coke commercial. Who would've guessed??!?)
A Place In The World for A Gambler - Dan Fogelberg (2/75; dnc - this was never released as a single, but was the closing track of his Souvenirs LP. Playing on the record were producer Joe Walsh, Gerry Beckley of America, studio drummer Russ Kunkel and a choir that included Eagles Don Henley and Randy Meisner.)
Trivia Answer
Congratulations to Dustin from King Ferry, for winning an hour of free bowling at Atlas Bowl in Trumansburg!
Host Next Week (8/20): JR with a spotlight on August of 1980!
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