Feb 18, 2017 - KV - 1966

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:  February 18, 2017
Host:  Kim Vaughan
Feature:  1966





Birthday Calendar


Feb 12 – Ray Manzarek (Doors) – born in 1939
            – Gene McDaniels – born in 1935

Feb 13 – Peter Tork (Monkees) – age 75
            – Tennessee Ernie Ford – born in 1919
            – King Floyd – born in 1945
            – Dorothy McGuire (McGuire Sisters) – born in 1928

Feb 14 – Phyllis McGuire (McGuire Sisters) – age 86
            – Eric Andersen – age 74
            – Maceo Parker – age 74

Feb 15 – Brian Holland (Holland-Dozier-Holland) – age 76

Feb 16 – Hal Kalin (Kalin Twins) – born in 1934
            – Herbie Kalin (Kalin Twins) – born in 1934
            – Otis Blackwell – born in 1931

Feb 17 – Bobby Lewis – age 84
            – Gene Pitney – born in 1940

Feb 18 – Irma Thomas – age 76
            – Dennis DeYoung (Styx) – age 70
            – Judy Kay “Juice” Newton – age 65



And farewell to Al Jarreau, who passed away on 2-12-17 at the age of 76.


Playlist


[songs in bold are from the spotlight date of 2-8-66; 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)

My World Is Empty Without You – The Supremes (found its Hot 100 peak this week in 1966 at #5)

My Love – Petula Clark (#4 this week in 1966, having spent the previous two weeks at #1)

Uptight (Everything’s Alright) – Stevie Wonder (peaked at #3 this week)

These Boots Are Made For Walkin’ – Nancy Sinatra (#2 this week; it would reach #1 the following week)

Lightnin’ Strikes – Lou Christie (#1 this week; its only week in the top slot)

 * All Your Love – John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers (from the 1966 album Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton)

 * Never Been To Spain – Three Dog Night (1971, peaked at #5 in early 1972)

 * Town Without Pity – Gene Pitney (1961, peaked at #13 in early 1962)


 * I Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore – Young Rascals (#72 this week; their first song to chart on the Hot 100)

 * Going To A Go-Go – The Miracles (#11 this week)

California Dreamin’ – The Mamas & The Papas (#16 this week)

Walkin’ My Cat Named Dog [45 Corner] – Norma Tanega (“bubbling under” at #111 this week)

Batman Theme – The Marketts (#48 this week in 1966; it would peak at #17 in March.  The version by Neal Hefti was #52 this week.  Bat-mania had swept the nation since the show debuted on ABC in mid-Jan 1966; in addition to these two versions of the theme song, there was a Batman-inspired song by Jan & Dean on the Hot 100 this week, and one by The Spotlights on the Bubbling Under chart.)


You Baby – The Turtles (#35 this week)




7-8pm



Moonlight Drive – The Doors (1967, the b-side of Love Me Two Times.  Ray Manzarek describes the inception of the Doors in this interview.  Moonlight Drive is the first song Jim Morrison sang to him.)

Tower Of Strength – Gene McDaniels (1961, #5 on both the Hot 100 and the R&B chart)

Shades Of Gray – The Monkees (from the 1967 album Headquarters; Peter Tork and Davy Jones share the lead vocals on this)


Sixteen Tons – Tennessee Ernie Ford (1955, #1 for eight weeks)

Groove Me – King Floyd (1970, peaked at #6 in early 1971 and spent four weeks at #1 on the R&B chart)

Sincerely – The McGuire Sisters (1955, #1 for ten weeks)

Thirsty Boots – Eric Andersen (from his 1966 album ‘Bout Changes ‘N’ Things; the song was covered by other artists including John Denver, Judy Collins, Bob Dylan, and The Kingston Trio)

Say It Loud (I’m Black And I’m Proud) – James Brown (1968, #10 on the Hot 100, spent six weeks at #1 on the R&B chart.  One of many songs on which Maceo Parker played sax.)

Shake Me, Wake Me (When It’s Over) – The Four Tops (debuted this week in 1966 at #86; it would peak at #18.  Written and produced by Holland-Dozier-Holland.)

When – The Kalin Twins (1958, #5)

Bartender, Fill It Up Again – Otis Blackwell (1954, dnc. Blackwell was much more successful as a songwriter than as a performer.  He wrote several hits for Elvis Presley, including All Shook Up, Don’t Be Cruel, and Return to Sender, along with hits for other artists like Jerry Lee Lewis.)

Are You Ready [45 Corner] – Bobby Lewis (1961, b-side of One Track Mind, his follow-up to Tossin’ And Turnin’.)

 * Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa – Gene Pitney (1963, #17) 

Anyone Who Knows What Love Is – Irma Thomas (1964, #52)




8-9pm



Come Sail Away – Styx (1977, peaked at #8 in early 1978.  Dennis DeYoung was the writer, lead vocalist, and keyboardist on this track.)

Queen Of Hearts – Juice Newton (1981, #2 for two weeks)

 * We’re In This Love Together – Al Jarreau (1981, #15)

 * Everything’s Coming Our Way – Santana (1971, from their self-titled third album)

 * Green Onions – Booker T and the MGs (1962, #3 on the Hot 100, spent four weeks at #1 on the R&B chart)

 * Summer In The City – Lovin’ Spoonful (debuted on the Hot 100 in the summer of 1966, spent three weeks at #1)

 * Treat Her Right – Roy Head (1965, #2 for two weeks)

 * Sounds of Silence – Simon & Garfunkel (#33 this week; it had previously spent two weeks in the top slot)

Lies – The Knickerbockers (#32 this week)

Sweet Talk [45 Corner] – Bobby Comstock & The Counts (1959, the b-side of Tennessee Waltz, the first Hot 100 entry for this Ithaca-native band.  This 45 is on the Blaze label; the second time they were on the Hot 100 it was on Atlantic, and the third and fourth entries were on Lawn.)


 * Five O’Clock World – The Vogues (#14 this week, on its way down from a peak at #4)

 * Time Won’t Let Me – The Outsiders (debuted at #100 this week; it would climb to #5)

 * 634-5789 – Wilson Pickett (#58 this week)

When The Ship Hit The Sand – Little Jimmy Dickens (#133 on the Bubbling Under chart this week)
   

CLOSING THEME:  Sleepwalk – Santo & Johnny (1959, #1 for two weeks)




Prize Winner


Congratulations to Liam from Groton, for being the third caller and winning a free pass for two to Cornell Cinema!






Host Next Week (Feb 25):  John Rudan with a spotlight on 1969




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 streaming here.

Feb. 11, 2017 - JH: Valentine Special - Kissing songs

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:  Feb. 11, 2017
Host:  Jan Hunsinger
Feature: Valentine Special - songs about kissing.

Birthday Calendar

Feb. 5 - Claude King - 1923  
Corey Wells (Three Dog Night) - 1942
Charles (Chuck) Winfield (Blood, Sweat, & Tears) -74
Al Kooper (Alan Peter Kuperschmidt) (B,S, & T) - 73

Feb. 6 - Jerry Marotta (Orelans drummer) - 61

Feb. 7 - Curtis Ousley "King Curtis" - 1934

Feb. 8 - Larry Verne - 1936 
Dan Seals - (England Dan & John Ford Coley) - 1948

Feb. 9 - Barry Mann (Barry Imberman) - 78
Carole King - 75
Barbara Lewis - 74

Feb. 10 - Roberta Flack - 78

Feb. 11 - Raoul Cita (Harptones pianist/arranger) - 1928
Gerry Goffin - 78
Sergio Mendes - 76

Playlist


[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)

Stupid Cupid - Connie Francis (1958: #14)

Cupid - Sam Cooke (1961: #17) 



Little Arrows - Leapy Lee (1968: #16 - English artist born Graham Pulleyblank wraps up a mini-set of songs about cupid)


Kiss An Angel Good Morning - Charley Pride (1971: #21 - country crossover that became Pride's signature song and won him CMA 's Entertainer of the Year and Top Male Vocalist Awards )

A Kiss to Build a Dream On - Louis Armstrong (1951: song was featured in the movie "Sleepless in Seattle)




*You've Got to Hide Your Love Away - The Beatles
* I Need You - The Beatles (caller requested these back-to-back songs off of the 'Help' LP)

Kiss of Fire - Georgia Gibbs (1951 - #1: featured in the movie 'A Walk on the Moon')


Kisses Sweeter Than Wine - Jimmie Rodgers (1957 - #3)

Shoop, Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss) - Betty Everett (1964 - #6: used in the movie 'Mermaids' and sung by Cher)


A Kiss From Your Lips - The Flamingos (1956 - #12 R&B)

Give Him a Great Big Kiss - The Shangri-las (1965 - #18)

 *Love Me - Elvis Presley (1956 - #2: a request for a listener in Danby)

45 Corner
Kiss Me, Baby - The Beach Boys (1965: flip side of 'Help Me, Rhonda')


(Til) I Kissed You - The Everly Brothers (1959 - #4)

Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me - Karen Chandler (1952 - #5: original version that Mel Carter had a hit with in 1965) 


Then He Kissed Me - The Crystals (1963 - #6: Rolling Stone magazine picked this song #493 in its 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and features Phil Spector's Wall of Sound) 


Give Me More More More (Of Your Kisses) - Lefty Frizzell (1952 - #1 Country.  Frizzell was a major influence on country music; Roy Orbison named his Traveling Wilbury Brothers character 'Lefty' in his honor.


7-8pm - A great week for birthdays!

Wolverton Mountain - Claude King (1962 - #6: song is a true story written by Clifton Clowers' nephew, Merle Kilgore.  Clowers was a World War I veteran who lived to be 102!)



Try a Little Tenderness - Three Dog Night (1969 - #29: cover of Otis Redding hit; Three Dog Night's first Top 40 song)

You've Made Me So, Very Happy - Blood, Sweat, & Tears (1969 - #2: Chuck Winfield on trumpet, David Clayton Thomas on vocals)

I Can't Quit Her - B,S, & T (1968 - UC: original line-up of group for first LP "Child Is the Father to the Man", voted #264 in Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Albums; Al Kooper on vocals and co-wrote the song) 



Still the One - Orleans (1976 - #5) 

Soul Serenade - King Curtis (1964 - #51)
 

I'd Really Love to See You Tonight - England Dan & John Ford Coley (1976 - #2)

Mr. Custer - Larry Verne (1960 - #1: novelty song about the Battle of the Little Big Horn - aka 'Custer's Last Stand'))


*Kiss Me Sailor - Diane Renay (1964 - #29: a request for a kissing song that was off my radar - thanks to JS who was still in the studio and had the song with him)

Looking Through the Eyes of Love - Gene Pitney (1965 - #28: from the songwriting team of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil)

I Feel the Earth Move - Carole King (1971 - #1: double-sided single with "It's Too Late", song spent 5 weeks at #1 and was described by Allmusic critic Stewart Mason as "the ultimate in hippie-chick eroticism") 


Baby I'm Yours - Barbara Lewis (1965 - #11: song was written by Van McCoy of "The Hustle" fame and was used in the movie "The Bridges of Madison County" - directed by Clint Eastwood)

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack (1972 - #1: song spent 6 weeks at #1 and was used in the movie "Play Misty for Me" - also directed by Clint Eastwood)


*Come and Get Your Love - Redbone (1974 - #5: the longer LP version of the song)

Sunday Kind of Love - The Harptones (1953) 


*Love (Can Make You Happy) - Mercy (1969 - #2: one-hit wonder from band out of FLorida that still tours with several original members)


(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman - Aretha Franklin (1967 - #8: another smash hit from Gerry Goffin and Carole King)

Look of Love - Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 (1968 - #4) 
 

Kiss Is On My List - Daryl Hall & John Oates (1981 - #1: video of song aired on MTV's first day of broadcasting)

Fire - Pointer Sisters (1979 - #2: song was written by Bruce Springsteen)


Kiss You All Over - Exile (1978 - #1: Exile turned to the country genre after this big hit) 

*Home & Dry - Gerry Rafferty (1978: from his LP 'City to City')  


*Spanish Harlem - Laura Nyro (1971: Nyro's cover of the Ben E. King hit written by Jerry Lieber and Phil Spector)   

*Suspicious Minds - Elvis Presley (1969 - #1: one of the biggest hits of The King's career - came in at #91 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.) 

For Your Love - Ed Townsend (1958 - #13: Ed was awarded the Purple Heart for service in the Korean War)


Goodnight My Love - Jesse Belvin (1956 - #7 R&B charts - 11 year-old Barry White is reportedly the piano played on this song.  Belvin co-wrote "Earth Angel", and was killed in a car crash at the age of 27 after performing in the first integrated concert in Little Rock, Arkansas along with Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson)


 Thanks for the phone calls and requests!

CLOSING THEME:  Sleepwalk – Santo & Johnny (1959, #1 for two weeks)






Host Next Week (February 18):  Kim Vaughan, with a spotlight on 1966





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 streaming here.

   
 


  

 
 
 

Feb 4, 2017 - JS - Spotlight on James Jamerson

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:  2/4/17
Host:  John Simon
Feature:  Spotlight on the Motown Bass man James Jamerson!



 This Saturday, a spotlight on one of the greatest bass players of all time: Motown's own James Jamerson. Join JS for three hours of Motor City magic starting at 6 p.m. We'll start the Jamerson tribute at 7 (he's the star of this week's Birthday Calendar). Cheap Date Night, baby! C'mon over.

 

 Note: The entire East Hill was crippled by a massive power outage on this night. WVBR was off the air until about 7:20 p.m., so the first hour of the show won't even be posted here. Just you wait, though....I'll be ba-a-ack.

Birthday Calendar


January 29 - James Jamerson - born in 1936
           

February 1 - Don Everly (Everly Bros) - age 80

February 2 - Graham Nash (Hollies, CSN) - age 75

February 3 - Dave Davies (Kinks) - age 70
                  - Melanie - age 70

February 4 - Alice Cooper - age 69
            – John Rudan – age is still a secret....






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)


JS then did a brilliant opening monologue, followed by a slew of great tunes from Detroit artists  -  all proudly sponsored by Island Health & Fitness, Ithaca's premiere fitness facility with two convenient locations!

7-8pm

Always It's You - Everly Brothers (5/60; #56 - the b-side of their first release on their new label. The a-side was "Cathy's Clown," which spent five weeks at the top of the chart.)

Bird Dog - Everly Brothers (9/58; #1 - this was their third chart-topper for the Cadence label. Tonight we hear it in first-time stereo!)

On a Carousel - The Hollies (3/67; #11 - featuring the lead vocals of young Graham Nash, who was starting to yearn for material that would be more sophisticated and meaningful.)

  

Lola - The Kinks (8/70; #9)

Beautiful People - Melanie (1969 - this non-charting single is a personal favorite. Happy 70th birthday to Melanie!)

I'm Eighteen - Alice Cooper (2/71; #21 - the first nationally-charting hit for the Detroit native and his band.)

Spotlight on James Jamerson, who played bass for a core group of musicians who came to be known as The Funk Brothers. He is reported to have played on some 95% of Motown recordings between 1962-1968, including nearly thirty No. 1 Pop hits (surpassing the record commonly attributed to The Beatles) and nearly seventy R&B #1's.

Think about the first few seconds of The Temptations' "My Girl," that syrupy bass line leading to the opening flourish. That was James Jamerson. Or the rushing current underneath Smokey Robinson & the Miracles' "Tears of a Clown." For almost a decade the South Carolina native was the backbone of The Funk Brothers: the house band that defined the sound of Motown Records.

For a glimpse of James Jamerson's one-fingered bass technique, watch this short video: My Girl!

My Girl - The Temptations (1/65; #1 Pop and R&B - the Temptations cajoled Smokey Robinson into writing them a hit that would equal the success of "My Guy," which he'd written for Mary Wells. Voila!)

   

Tears of a Clown - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles (12/70; #1 Pop and #1 R&B for three weeks - this song was an album track recorded three years earlier. A British DJ started playing it and it was rush-released as a single. When it topped the UK chart, Tamla released it here in the States Wise move....)

Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell (6/67; #19 Pop, #3 R&B - the debut single for Marvin and his new duet partner was propelled by the driving bass stylings of Mr. Jamerson. The formula was perfect!)

     

Stop! In the Name of Love - Supremes (2/65; #1 Pop, #2 R&B for four weeks - "It has an undeniable hook  -  a faded up organ glissando played by James Gittens. Anchored beneath the tune there's an 8-to-the-bar Jamerson bass line that barely ever lets up, a device he would use with the girls' follow-up singles and on countless hits throughout the Sixties." - Dr. Licks)

I Heard It Through the Grapevine - Gladys Knight & The Pips (11/67; #2 Pop, #1 R&B for six weeks - drums by Richard "Pistol" Allen and Uriel Jones, rumbling bass line by James Jamerson. Up to this time, this was the biggest hit for the Motown family  -  but a year later Marvin Gaye's version would shatter all records.)

(Your Love Keeps Liftin' Me) Higher & Higher - Jackie Wilson (9/67; #6 Pop, #1 R&B - "It became a worst-kept secret that Jackie Wilson's 'Higher & Higher' did not have a Motown influence quite by accident  -  the Funk Brothers migrated to do the Wilson session.")

  

With This Ring - The Platters (3/67; #14 Pop, #12 R&B - released on the Musicor Records label, and clearly featuring the uncredited Funk Brothers. When Berry Gordy heard that the band was moonlighting again, he fined each player. A rival record label exec showed up at the Motown staff Christmas party and handed each member twice the amount they'd been fined.)

8-9pm




Don't Mess With Bill - Marvelettes (1/66; #7 Pop, #3 R&B)


Girl, Why You Wanna Make Me Blue - Temptations (9/64; #26 - basically a three-note bass line for most of the song!)

Baby Baby Don't Cry - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles (1/69; #8 Pop, #3 R&B - yet another wildly unlikely rumbling bass line lurking beneath the surface and propelling this record to greatness.)

   

I Was Made To Love Her - Stevie Wonder (6/67; #2 Pop, #1 R&B for four weeks - Jamerson's distinctive bass lines were all over these next two records. Curiously, LA session bassist Carole Kaye has gone on record saying she'd played on the Stevie Wonder single. I'm still trying to figure that one out!)

     

Bernadette - Four Tops (3/67; #4 Pop, #3 R&B - "The road bassists held Jamerson in the highest regard, but they had the unenviable task of trying to re-create his bass lines on stage." - Dr. Licks)

Rock The Boat - The Hues Corporation (5/74; #1 Pop, #2 R&B - Jamerson was pretty much done at Motown, but continued to be in demand as a session player. He helped drive this one to #1.)

You Don't Have To Be a Star - Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr. (9/76; #1 Pop and R&B - "It's one of the few songs in my career where I tried to emulate the Motown sound., so I made sure I got the session musicians I needed. I went off to LA to get Jamerson." - producer Don Davis)

You Keep Me Hanging On - The Funk Brothers (1966 - from the soundtrack to the film "Standing In The Shadows of Motown," this is the isolated instrumental track the Supremes would later ride to the top of the charts.)

Didn't You Know (You'd Have To Cry Sometime) - Gladys Knight & The Pips (3/69; #63 - Valerie Simpson was a demanding producer who warned Jamerson to not do "...any funny business" on this session. His bass lines were subdued  -  and so were record sales. Hmmm....)

  

What's Goin' On - Marvin Gaye (2/71; #2Pop, #1 R&B for five weeks - According to fellow Funk Brothers  in the 2002 documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown, Gaye was desperate to have Jamerson play on "What's Going On", and went to several bars to find the bassist. When he did, he brought Jamerson to the studio, who then played the classic line while lying flat on his back. )

* (Last Night) I Didn't Get To Sleep At All - 5th Dimension (4/72; #8 - Joe-the-Cabbie got through and said he'd love to hear some more Marilyn McCoo. Here ya go, Joe!)

    

That Old Song - Ray Parker, Jr. & Raydio (7/81; #21 - Ray Parker got his start as a session bassist for Motown Records when they relocated to Southern California. Clearly a different approach to bass playing....)

Everybody Go Home - Eydie Gorme (9/63; #80 - we close tonight with a low-charting tearjerker from the lovely Ms. Gorme, written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin. Shoulda beena hit!)

CLOSING THEME:  Sleepwalk – Santo & Johnny (1959, #1 for two weeks)












Host Next Week (2/11/17):  Jan Hunsinger with a spotlight on Valentine's Day





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.