December 14, 2019 - JH: Colorful Songs

Host: Jan Hunsinger (JH)
Date: December 14, 2019

Spotlight: Colorful Songs - songs with colors in the title.


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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

·     a glossary of terms is below the playlist

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

[Background music: Green Onions - Booket T. & the M.G.s (1962 - #3: has been described as one of the best instrumental rock and soul songs)]

Silver Bells - Jim Reeves (1963 - NR: from his 1963 LP "Twelve Songs of Christmas")

Silver Moon - Mike Nesmith and the First National Band (1971 - #42: Nesmith's post-Monkees group has received much credit for influencing the country-folk-rock genre; this was their first charting single after "Joanne")

Silver Bird - Mark Lindsay (1970 - #25: the former lead singer of Paul Revere and the Raiders was backed by the Wrecking Crew on this hit)

Silver Threads and Golden Needles - The Cowsills (1969 - #74: the group's cover of the Springfields hit was produced by Bob "Waddy" Wachtel, who went on to sserve as a session guitarist for Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, and Warren Zevon, among others)

Sister Golden Hair - America (1975 - #1: the group's second #1 single was written by Gerry Beckley, who said he was inspired to write it by Jackson Browne)

Silence Is Golden - The Tremeloes (1967 - #11: their cover of the Four Seasons tune written by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe)

Gold - John Stewart (1979 - #5: Stevie Nicks provided background vocals on Stewart's cynical view of the music industry)

Golden Years - David Bowie (1976 - #10: Bowie said that he offered the song to Elvis Presley to record but the King turned it down)

Goldfinger - Shirley Bassey (1965 - #8: from the James Bond movie of the same name starring Sean Connery)

45 Corner

Yellow River - Christie (1970 - #23: Jeff Christie was vocalist, bassist, and songwriter for the tune that went to #1 in the UK and sold 30 million copies worldwide; he was inspired by the idea of a soldier going home after the Civil War )

Mellow Yellow - Donovan (1966 - #2: Paul McCartney is among the background voices in the song, which is not, as rumored, about smoking dried banana peels)

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John (1973 - #1: title track from John's seventh album, the song ranks #380 on the RS500)

Yellow Submarine - The Beatles (1966 - #2: title song to their animated film; Donovan assisted with some of the lyrics, mostly written by Paul as a song for Ringo)

Birthday Calendar:

[Background Music: Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White - Perez Prado and His Orchestra (1955 - #1: song spent 10 weeks at the top of the charts, a huge hit for the "King of Mambo")]

December 8:

Sammy Davis Jr. - born 1925

Jerry Butler - 80

Bobby Elliott (Hollies drummer) - 78

Jim Morrison (The Doors) - born 1943

Gregg Allman - born 1947

December 9:

George Baker (Johannes Bouwens) - 75

Donny Osmoond - 62

December 10:

Chad Stewart (Chad & Jeremy) - 78

Jessica Cleaves (Friends of Distinction) - born 1948

December 11:

Willie Mae "Big Momma" Thornton - born 1926

David Gates - 79

Brenda Lee - 75

Jermaine Jackson - 65

December 12:

Frank Sinatra - born 1915

Connie Francis (Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero) - 82

Terry Kirkman (The Association) - 80

Dionne Warwick - 79

Dickey Betts (Forest Richard Betts) - 76

December 13:

Tony Gomez (The Foundations) - born 1938

December 14:

Frank Allen (The Searchers) - 76

That Old Black Magic - Sammy Davis Jr. (1955 - #13: Davis was famous as a comedian, singer, actor, and entertainer)

He Will Break Your Heart - Jerry Butler (1960 - #7: a Philadelphia DJ nicknamed him "The Iceman")

Just One Look - The Hollies (1964 - #98: their cover of the Doris Troy song begins with a drum flourish by Elliott)

Blue Sunday - The Doors (1970 - NR: from their 5th album "Morrison Hotel")

Little Green Bag - George Baker Selection (1970 - #21: song originally began as "Little Green Back", as a reference to US dollars; used in the film "Reservoir Dogs")


Deep Purple - Donny and Marie Osmond (1976 - #14: the tune was originally published in 1933 with lyrics added in 1938; Nino Tempo and April Stevens, another brother-sister duo, took it to #1 in 1963)


From a Window - Chad & Jeremy (1965 - #97: Paul McCartney wrote the song for the duo, who appeared on the Dick Van Dyke Show and The Patty Duke Show in 1965)

Love or Let Me Be Lonely - The Friends of Distinction (1970 - #6: Jessica Cleaves also sang with Earth, Wind, & Fire, and Parliament Funkadelic)


Hound Dog - "Big Mama" Thornton (1953 - DNC: her version of the Lieber and Stoller classic was meant to be an anthem to black female power, but it was eclipsed by Elvis' version 3 years later)

Make It With You - Bread (1970 - #1: David Gates wrote and played all the instruments except the drums on the group's first hit)

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee (1958 - DNC: although it did not chart until 1960, the song has become a perennial holiday favorite and has sold over 25 million copies)

Christmas Won't be the Same This Year - Jackson Five (1970 - NR: Jermaine took the lead vocals on this song from their Christmas LP)


The Moon Was Yellow - Frank Sinatra (1962 - #99: song was a hit for Bing Crosby in 1934)

Blue Winter - Connie Francis (1964 - #24: one of 56 BB Hot 100 singles for the singer)


Pandora's Golden Heebie Jeebies - The Association (1966 - #35: song is about Eastern mysticism)


Message to Michael - Dionne Warwick (1966 - #8: one of many of her hits written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David)

Blue Sky - The Allman Brothers (1972 - DNC: song was written and sung by Dickey Betts)

Build Me Up Buttercup - The Foundations (1969 - #3: million-seller for the multi-racial British soul group that has become popular at Wisconsin Badger football games)


When You Walk in the Room - The Searchers (1964 - #35: Frank Allen sang dual lead on the Jackie DeShannon-penned tune; group took their name from the classic 1956 John Ford movie)

Blue Christmas - Elvis Presley (1964 - #40: song was originally recorded in 1957, released as a single in 1964)

Blue Velvet - The Clovers (1955 - DNC: song was written in 1950, Bobby Vinton took it to #1 in 1963)

Tangled Up in Blue - Bob Dylan (1975 - #31: from his class "Blood on the Tracks" LP; song ranks #68/RS500)


Blue Suede Shoes - Carl Perkins (1956 - #2: Perkins wrote the rockabilly song which has been covered many times, most notably by Elvis; #95/RS500)


*The Green Door - Jim Lowe (1956 - #1: Lowe was a New York City DJ and radio personality)

White Christmas - The Drifters (1954 - DNC: Clyde McPhatter on lead vocals and Bill Pinckney on bass for this doo-wop version of the classic holiday song)


White on White - Danny Williams (1964 - #9: born in South Africa, Williams was known as "Britain's Johnny Mathis")

White Room - Cream (1968 - #6: bassist Jack Bruce wrote the music and sang lead vocals)


Black and White - Three Dog Night (1972 - #1: song was originally written in 1954 in response to the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court case, but the Three Dog Night version cut out the verse relevant to the case)

Black Slacks Joe Bennett and the Sparkletones (1957 - #17: Bennett co-wrote the hit song for the rockabilly group from Spartanburg, S.C.)

Black Pearl - Sonny Charles and the Checkmates Ltd. (1969 - #13: the one major hit for the group from Fort Wayne, IN was produced by Phil Spector)

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

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 This Week (12/21/19): John Simon (JS) with a spotlight on loose ends and leftovers. 

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