October 21, 2017 - JS - More 1960

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:  10/21/17
Host:  John Simon
Feature:  More of October 1960

Tonight's show has a killer birthday calendar, some leftover requests, a second helping of 1960 and some changing-of-the-seasons music with JS back behind the mic. It's Cheap Date Night and there's plenty of room for you and yours! 93.5 FM or wvbr.com 

      


Birthday Calendar

October 15 – Marv Johnson –born in 1938           

October 16 – Bob Weir (Grateful Dead) – age 70

October 17 – Gary Puckett – age 75
           
October 18 – Chuck Berry – born in 1926
            – Laura Nyro – born in 1947


October 20 – Tom Petty – born in 1950       


October 21 – Steve Cropper – age 76
            – Elvin Bishop – age 75





Rock ‘n’ Roll Trivia


Frankie Avalon is on this week's chart with a single called Togetherness. So is a famous movie co-star of his. What's that person's name (and for bonus points, what's the song)?

(scroll down to find the answer below the playlist)




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)

We open tonight's show with some changing-of-the-seasons tunes, starting with....

I've Got Sand in My Shoes - Drifters (9/64; #33 - follow-up to their classic Under The Boardwalk, featuring Johnny Moore on lead vocal.)

 

Long Lonely Winter - The Chips (11/64; dnc - featuring songwriter/guitarist and singer Joe South, this one only charted regionally in the Atlanta area. Pity.)

I'll Think of Summer - Ronny & The Daytonas (11/66; #133 - another beautiful record dripping with atmosphere from the Nashville-based teen singer and writer.)


I Never Had Any Summer Romance - Satisfactions (1966; dnc - this one featured Jack Nitzsche's wife Gracia, in front of a stunning arrangement and a haunting melody. For some reason, it wasn't released as a single at the time. Coulda been a hit....)

* Remember (Walkin' in the Sand) - Shangri-Las (8/64; #5 - this request came in six weeks ago, and fit perfectly with this theme. Another Shadow Morton production.)

* I Only Have Eyes for You - Flamingos (6/59; #11 - this is a prototypical "classic Oldie" that never grows old.)


The Image of a Girl - Safaris (down from a peak of #6 over the summer of 1960)


A Thousand Stars - Kathy Young & The Innocents (debuting this week at #67 and headed all the way to #3 for the winsome teen.)

* Am I The Man - Jackie Wilson (this would reach #31 Pop and #10 R&B and is a great example of the full range of "Mr. Excitement's" vocal prowess.)

So Sad - Everly Brothers (peaking at #8 this week and featuring the sublime harmonies of two brothers at the peak of their game)

Everglades - Kingston Trio (peaking at #60 - this one opens with a classic Everly Brothers-inspired guitar riff, and ends with line "running through the trees from the....Everlys!" Talk about an homage!)

* Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie - Jay & Techniques (7/67; #6 - this was the first nationally charting hit for the multiracial band from Allentown, PA. They'd never reach these heights again, and subsequent singles were also about food and children's games.)

Autumn - The Thomas Group (6/66; dnc - this is this week's long-lost single, released on the Dunhill label and written and produced by PF Sloan and Jeff Barri. Tony Thomas was TV star Danny Thomas' son, but that didn't help with record sales.)

* Brandy (You're a Fine Girl) - Looking Glass (7/72; #1 - these guys were basically "one-hit wonders," but what a hit it was!)

 

* Spirit in the Sky - Norman Greenbaum (2/70; #3 - this one spent three weeks at #3 on the Billboard chart, but was a #1 hit in the UK and on the Cashbox Chart here in the States. Psychedelic spiritual musings on the Buddha Records label!)

7-8pm

You Got What it Takes - Marv Johnson (10/59; #10 Pop, #2 R&B - this was the biggest hit for this R&B journeyman, who would become one of the first stars for the fledgling Motown Records family two years later. Note: he also had a record on this week's chart, but you heard it here last week.)

 

I Miss You Baby (Oh How I Miss You) - Marv Johnson (4/66; #39 R&B - this was one of the final gasps of Marv Johnson's career, and it only scored on R&B radio.)

     

Woman, Woman - The Union Gap, featuring Gary Puckett (11/67; #4 - the first national charter for this easy-listening Soft Rock band was a tour-de-force, featuring the studio playing of LA's famed Wrecking Crew and a stunning vocal performance by the star of the band)

Brown Eyed Handsome Man - Chuck Berry (10/56; #5 R&B - this was part of a two-sided single with Too Much Monkey Business, neither one of which charted on the Pop chart. The original title has been reported to have been "Brown-Skinned Handsome Man," but that may have been too controversial for the times.)

 

Roll Over Beethoven - Chuck Berry (6/56; #29 Pop, #2 R&B - featuring the signature Chuck Berry guitar lick, Johnny Johnson's rolling piano and Chuck's irreverent sense of humor, this would later be one of The Beatles' signature tunes  -  and, later, ELO's.)

Wedding Bell Blues - Laura Nyro (10/66; #103 - this kid from the Bronx was one of the hottest writers in the business for a while. This was released as a single on the Vanguard label and just missed the chart. Two years later it would be a #1 smash for the 5th Dimension.)

And When I Die - Blood Sweat & Tears (10/69; #2 - amazing to think that she was 19 when she recorded this song. Other interpreters of her music included Three Dog Night, Barbra Streisand and Peggy Lipton.)

Up On the Roof - Laura Nyro (10/70; #92 - it's ironic that her only charting single was one that she didn't write herself. This is a brilliant and thoughtful reading of the Goffin-King classic.)

* Telstar - Tornadoes (12/62; #1 for three weeks - this space-aged instrumental was the first #1 record of 1963. One year later another English group would surface on the American charts, and the musical landscape would be forever changed.)

* If It's Magic - Stevie Wonder (1976; dnc - an album track from Songs In the Key of Life with a very spare arrangement, making it an unlikely candidate for release as a single. Lovely, though!)

* It Never Rains in Southern California - Albert Hammond (10/72; #5 - an ironic request from a West Coast listener who knows differently.)

* Save the Last Dance For Me - Drifters (#2 this week, down from #1 - this was one of the final singles featuring the unmistakable voice of Ben E. King. He saved the best for last before embarking on a successful solo career.)

 

I'll Save the Last Dance for You - Damita Jo (debuting at #90, headed to #22 - this "answer record" must've been a rush-release, given that the original was still on the chart when this came out. Same melody, different arrangement!)

The Twist - Hank Ballard & His Midnighters (down to #58 from a peak position of #28 Pop and #16 R&B - Chubby Checker's version was an exact copy of Hank Ballard's original, but Chubby's less-threatening demeanor - along with Dick Clark's skillful promotion - left Ballard on the sidelines.)

 

8-9pm




Love Is Blue - Paul Mauriat & His Orchestra (3/68; #1 for four weeks - this was France's entry into the Eurovision Song Competition, and became one of the biggest Pop hits of the year.)

* The Last Song - Edward Bear

Sugar Magnolia - Grateful Dead (2/73; #91 - they didn't score many chart hits, but this Bob Weir song is a classic in its own right.)

 

Fooled Around and Fell in Love - Elvin Bishop (7/76; #3 - Elvin got his start as a Blues guitarist. This was his biggest chart hit and featured the vocals of Jefferson Starship's Mickey Thomas.)

Some Guys Have All the Luck - Persuaders (9/73; #39 Pop, #7 R&B - Rod Stewart would resuscitate this record a decade later, but this is still my go-to version. On the Atco Records label.)

Togetherness - Frankie Avalon (at #30 this week, headed to #26 - this record followed the same proven formula as his biggest hit Venus, but it wasn't quite as good a song. Still, it was a pretty pleasing record.)

 

Pineapple Princess - Annette (down to #29 from a peak at #11 - it turned out that this former Mickey Mouse Club star could sing, too. This is a cute little Hawaiian-flavored ditty that nearly cracked the Top Ten.)

* Expressway to Your Heart - Soul Survivors (10/67; #3 - this Gamble/Huff production is one of the most enduring "Blue-Eyed Soul" hits of the era. Check out the groovy record label!)

Over the Rainbow - Demensions (just off the chart after peaking at #16 - these Brooklyn kids put a classic Doo-Wop spin on the Harold Arlen standard from The Wizard Of Oz soundtrack. Sublime!)

* Shapes of Things to Come - Yardbirds (3/66; #11 - this band had a revolving door of guitarists including Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. Yikes!)

* Walk, Don't Run - Ventures (just off after peaking at #2 - the first nationally-charting for the most successful American instrumental group of all time.)

45 Corner:  Home of the Brave - Jody Miller (9/65; #25 - two versions of this song were released simultaneously: this one and Phil Spector's version by Bonnie & The Treasures. This one won the chart race, thanks in part to its record label's prominence.)

Spotlight on Steve Cropper, songwriter, record producer, member of Booker T & The MGs, and session guitarist for Stax Records.

 

Soul Man - Sam & Dave (9/67; #2 for three weeks, #1 R&B for seven weeks - Isaac Hayes and David Porter wrote this one, but Steve Cropper brought it to life. He'd also bring it back to the charts a decade later with The Blues Brothers!)

In The Midnight Hour - Wilson Pickett (7/65; #21 Pop, #1 R&B - Steve co-wrote this classic with Wilson Pickett, and his guitar can be heard throughout the recording.)

 

Time Is Tight - Booker T & The MGs (3/69; #6 - in addition to playing on hits for all of the Stax Records family, these guys had a bunch of hits as a self-contained band. This song was written by Dunn-Jones-Cropper-Jackson.)

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






Trivia Answer


Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello co-starred in several "beach blanket" movies. They also had individual records back-to-back in the Top Thirty this week.

Congratulations to Sheila from Ithaca, for correctly answering the question and winning a large one-topping pizza from Papa John's!








Host Next Week (10/28/17):  Jan Hunsinger with a spotlight on Halloween, and a tribute to the late Fats Domino.





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.