September 15, 2018 - JS - September '66

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!)

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Date:  9/15/18
Host:  John Simon
Feature:  September 1966

Tonight from 6-9: free entertainment for the masses, starting with a quick look at new television shows in September 1966. From there on in, it's anybody's guess - end-of-Summer, a little warm-up for Ringo in Binghamton (this Tuesday), a little re-cap of Joan Baez in Ithaca (last Tuesday), plus your requests. C'mon by!

  


Rock ‘n’ Roll Trivia


This artist was the lead singer on two singles that were simultaneously in the Top Ten in the late Sixties - both by fabricated studio bands. What was his/her name? What were the bands?

(scroll down to find the answer below the playlist – and to find a glossary of terms)




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

·      a glossary of terms is below the playlist

6-7pm 



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

We open with a few TV-related songs from our chart date (which coincided with the brand new Fall television line-up). 

Theme From The Monkees -  The Monkees (debuted 9/66 on NBC TV - top-notch writers and studio players were behind the "Pre-Fab Four's" many excellent recordings. Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart wrote and produced this one.)

Batman Theme - The Marketts (2/66; #17 - this one had a rare mid-year debut in February of 1966. Also rare about it was that it aired two nights a week. It also spawned several hit singles. This one outperformed them all.)

 

Green Hornet Theme - The Ventures (9/66; #116 - the series debuted on 9/9/66 on NBC. It only lasted one season, even though Japanese martial arts legend Bruce Lee co-starred as "Kato." The single peaked at #116 on this very date.)

 

Last Train to Clarksville - The Monkees (9/66; at #43 this week - propelled by television exposure, this record would rocket to the top of the charts three weeks later. Session man Louie Shelton played the famous opening guitar lick.)

  

Yellow Submarine - The Beatles (9/66; #2 - this was the lone single from their Revolver LP and it featured a rare lead vocal by Ringo, who is coincidentally performing in Binghamton with his All-Star Band on Tuesday 9/18. In 2018.)

The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. - Teddy Randazzo (9/66; dnc - released on the M-G-M label. The series did about as well as the single: it lasted for one short season.)

Mr. Dieingly Sad - Critters (9/66; at #27, headed to #17 - a plaintive lament that captures the end of Summer perfectly.)

Bus Stop - Hollies (9/66; #5 - this is the first of three weeks that the Hollies would hold down the #3 slot. Another end-of-summer tune, but this one has a happy ending!)

Summer Samba (So Nice) - Walter Wanderley (9/66; at #56, headed to a peak of #26 - an organ-drenched instrumental that captures the promise of a swingin' Latin summertime evening.)

* Gloria - Them (5/65; #93  - Van Morrison's group of Irish toughs - before he went onto his immensely successful solo career. Coincidentally, our man JH was seeing him in concert at about the same time I played this listener request! The listener wanted to acknowledge the many "garage bands" that cut their teeth on this record.)

 

* Light My Fire - The Doors (7/67; #1 for four weeks - not much more to say about this dynamic slice of vinyl, except that it was brilliantly edited down from nearly eight minutes on the LP to 2:47 on the 7" single.)

45 Corner:  There But For Fortune - Joan Baez (9/65; #50 - this was her highest charting single on the Vanguard label. Fifty-three years later she would begin her final official tour with a stop at Ithaca's State Theatre, and this would be the third song in her fabulous set.)

You Can't Hurry Love - Supremes (9/66; #1 - one of four consecutive singles by the Detroit trio to top the Pop Charts, effectively keeping the Beatles out of the top slot.)

* Hooked On a Feeling - Blue Swede (4/74; #1 - a leftover request from my last show, arranged and produced by Jonathan King and featuring the very odd "ooga-chaka" opening. What follows is a Reggae-flavored explosion of musical delight!)

* Splish Splash - Bobby Darin (6/58; #3 - Bobby Darin's very first charting single, requested on behalf of a young and rapt listener at home in front of his radio. On a Saturday night, no less!)

7-8pm

 Birthday Calendar


Sept. 9 – Doug Ingle (Iron Butterfly) – age 73
            – Otis Redding – born in 1941
          
Sept. 12 – George Jones – born in 1931
            – Gerry Beckley (America) – age 66           
            – Barry White – born in 1944

Sept. 13 – David Clayton-Thomas (B,S&T) – age 77
            – Peter Cetera (Chicago) – age 74
          
Sept. 15 – Lee Dorman (Iron Butterfly) – born in 1942

I've Got Dreams To Remember - Otis Redding (9/68; #91 - his final posthumous hit, released nine months after his tragic death in a small plane crash in the midwest. He was only 26.)

Sweet Soul Music - Arthur Conley (3/67; #2 - Otis Redding produced this record for his protege, borrowing a melody from Sam Cooke. It's a musical shout-out to some of the finest male Soul singers of the era, and includes a "spotlight on Otis Redding now  -  singin' Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa!") 

* Respect - Aretha Franklin (5/67; #1 Pop and R&B for several weeks - we lost Aretha three weeks ago and this song undoubtedly got lots of airplay. Tonight we acknowledge its writer: Otis Redding, who famously called it "a song that a girl took away from me. A good friend of mine, this girl, she just took the song..." and made it her own!)

25 Or 6 To 4 - Chicago (7/70; #4 - Peter Cetera later became known as the man behind Chicago's MOR ballads, but he could rock pretty hard, as his lead vocal on this early classic will attest!)

Go Down Gamblin' - Blood Sweat & Tears (8/71; #32 - David Clayton-Thomas was born in England, raised in Canada, and picked to be lead vocalist for this horn band after Al Kooper left. This is the punchy single edit.)

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida - Iron Butterfly (9/68; #30 - with two band members on the same birthday calendar, it's only fair that we play their biggest hit. However...the original version was 17 minutes long. Tonight we play the 3-minute charting radio edit.)

This I Swear - Skyliners (6/59; #26 Pop, #20 R&B - this white vocal group fared better on the R&B chart than on the Pop chart. Tonight we hear a first-time stereo version of one of their biggest hits!)

Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry (5/58; #8 Pop, #2 R&B - the guitar lick that launched a thousand careers. Tonight we also hear this one in first-time stereo!)

* Paint It, Black - Rolling Stones (6/66; #1 - this was the #1 song in America when listener Todd from Newfield was born. He called it in as a special request. Happy belated birthday, buddy!)

Poor Side of Town - Johnny Rivers (6/66; debuting at #90 this week - this is his only record to reach #1, and one of the only ones that he composed himself, inauspiciously debuting on the chart this week.)

Black Is Black - Los Bravos (9/66; #18, headed to #4 - an iconic early "grunge" record, featuring a lead singer from Spain.)

Spotlight on a Lost Record That Shoulda Been a Hit: 

Impressions - Jones Boys (9/66; #101 - this was one of a string of great Pop singles on the Atco label by a pair of songwriters, one of whom was Dickey Lee! None of them charted, but this one came close - peaking at #101 this month.)

Dangling Conversation - Simon & Garfunkel (9/66; #32 this week, down from #25 - one of a string of beautiful songs from the pen of Paul Simon. Interestingly, the mono 45s are distinctly different from the easily-available stereo LP versions, but have never been released anywhere but on the original singles. A special treat just for you!)

Cherish - Association (9/66; at #4 this week - next week it would begin a three-week run at #1. To ensure airplay, Valiant Records shortened the intro and lopped off one of the closing lines - "and I do...cherish you...and I do...cherish you..." - AND slightly sped up the record to shorten it to 3:00 long. Tonight we hear that rare single mix.)

8-9pm



Love's Theme - Love Unlimited Orchestra (12/73; #1 - this majestic dance record was composed, arranged and conducted by the underrated Barry White, born in Texas and raised in Los Angeles.) 

 

Let The Music Play - Barry White (1/76; #32 Pop, #4 R&B - Eddie Murphy used to refer to Barry White as "the walrus of Love." This one opens with his signature spoken intro, but it's not one of those cheesy "come-on" raps he was most known for.)

Daisy Jane - America (8/75; #20 - Gerry Beckley and his band mates met on an Air Force base in Europe - they were all sons of servicemen - and honed their acoustic three-part harmony sound on the base. This song was written by Gerry himself, with a birthday just this week.)

The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down - Joan Baez (8/71; #3 - curiously missing from her career-spanning concert last Tuesday was this, her biggest hit. Well...you get it tonight!)

Rainbow Connection - Kermit (9/79; #25 - this was actually the uncredited vocal work of Jim Henson, who was the mastermind behind The Muppet Movie from whence this song originates. Paul Williams wrote it. Sigh.)

Tracy - Cuff-Links (9/69; #9 - this was a studio concoction featuring the uncredited multi-layered voice of jingle singer Ron Dante. It sold a lot of copies!)

Sugar Sugar - The Archies (9/69; #1 for four weeks - this was another fabricated group, because  -  face it  -  The Archies were comic book characters. Toni Wine sang some of the "girl" parts. The boys? Ron Dante again.)

 

Lonely Boy - Andrew Gold (3/77; #7 - Andrew was a multi-instrumentalist who did a lot of arranging and session work for Linda Ronstadt. She repaid the favor by appearing on his autobiographical hit here.)


Sentimental Lady - Bob Welch (10/77; #8 - the former Fleetwood Mac front man re-recorded one of his best songs and enlisted the help of Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham - both from the current line-up of the band - for his biggest solo hit.)

45 Corner:  Loving You Could Never Be Better - George Jones (5/72; #2 C&W - this one never got ANY play on Pop radio, but was one of a slew of big hits for one of Nashville's finest honey-voiced vocalists. Tonight we hear the stereo radio promo copy pictured below.) 

* Crimson and Clover - Tommy James & The Shondells (2/69; #1 for two weeks - this one finally displaced Marvin Gaye from a seven-week run at the top of the chart in early February of 1969. Psychedelic and atmospheric, indeed!)

Slip Away - Clarence Carter (7/68; #6 Pop, #2 R&B - another great record recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. This one spent two weeks at #2 on the R&B chart, and it signals to all of you that it's time for me to...slip away.)

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




Trivia Answer


Ron Dante was the mystery man whose voice propelled both Tracy by the Cuff Links and Sugar Sugar by the Archies into the Top Ten in September of 1969.

Congratulations to Dave from Snyder Hill Road, for correctly answering the question and winning a Papa John's Pizza and a pair of movie passes to Cinemapolis!



Glossary of Terms:

dnc = did not chart

nr = not released as a single at the time

AC = Billboard’s chart for “Adult Contemporary” records

BB = Billboard Magazine, which publishes the Hot 100 chart (previously known as the Top 100), along with several other charts

Bubbling Under = songs that were ranked but fell below the top 100

C&W = Billboard’s chart for “Country & Western” records

R&B = Billboard’s chart for “Rhythm & Blues” records

RRHOF = Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
RS500 = Rolling Stone Magazine’s ranked list of the top 500 singles of all-time




Host Next Week (9/22/18):  Kimm Vaughan with a spotlight TBA



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.

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