March 21, 2020 - JS - Spotlight on 1965

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!)

Thanks to our sponsors Island Health & Fitness and Rasa Spa for their support every week!

Date:  3/21/20
Host:  John Simon
Feature:  March 21, 1965

 

 

Back on the radio tonight from 6-9 with a spotlight on this date in 1965. The Top Ten included 3 former #1's, 3 British Invasion records, 3 supported by the Funk Brothers and 3 by the Wrecking Crew. I'll play them all in the first hour (counting down from #10). All that plus this past week's birthdays, your requests, and some darn good company. It's WVBR's Rockin' Remnants, on 93.5 FM or streaming worldwide.




  




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)

10) This Diamond Ring - Gary Lewis & Playboys (down from #8 last week and two weeks at #1– Six months prior, these kids were playing at Disneyland. Producer Snuff Garrett signed them , got Leon Russell, Hal Blaine and Ron Hicklin to play the tracks, he got Murray The K to break the record in NYC and got Jerry Lewis to call Ed Sullivan. The rest is history!)

9) My Girl - Temptations (down from #7 last week and #1 before that – This was their first single featuring David Ruffin on lead vocal. Smokey wrote it, James Jamerson gave it its heartbeat bass, Robert White played the ascending guitar figure and Paul Riser added the strings. It spent six weeks at #1 on the R&B Chart.)

8) Goldfinger - Shirley Bassey (up from #9 last week; this would be its peak position - there was a competing version by John Barry & His Orchestra on the chart this week and three others between the film's release at Christmastime and now, but hers was the definitive hit. Recorded in LA at Gold Star Studios.)

7) Shotgun - Junior Walker & The All-Stars (up from #10 last week, headed to #4 Pop and #1 R&B – Junior’s band was always on the road, so the regular Funk Brothers cut the basic tracks behind Junior’s shrieking sax. That’s Benny Benjamin on drums, Jamerson on bass and Earl Van Dyke on keys.)

 

6) Ferry Cross the Mersey - Gerry & The Pacemakers (this is its second and final week in its peak position - written by Gerry Marsden from Liverpool and produced by George Martin for the film of the same name.)

5) King of the Road - Roger Miller (down from a peak of #4 last week – Winner of four Grammy Awards in 1966! Also, this one reached #1 in the UK and spent four weeks at #1 in the UK.)

4) Eight Days a Week - Beatles (down from it's second week at #1 – the first British single to make it to #1 in the States and not chart at all in the UK – simply because it wasn’t released there as a single. This was the Beatles’ 7^th American #1 record.)

 

 

3) The Birds and The Bees - Jewel Akens (second week at this, its peak position – another one recorded at Gold Star Studios in LA with Leon Russell and Hal Blaine and a guitar patched through a Leslie organ speaker for that cool “chorusing” effect.)

2) Can't You Hear My Heart Beat - Herman's Hermits (up from #5 last week, this would spend two weeks at #2 and then start to fall again – in the UK this was released as the B-side of Silhouettes and never charted on its own!)

 

1) Stop! In the Name of Love - Supremes (up from #2 last week, in its first of two weeks at the top – this record answered the question: “Can they do it again?” The answer was a big “Yes!” They became the first group in the history of Hot 100 to have four consecutive #1 records – and they’d repeat the feat one more time just one year later!)

 

45 Corner:  Everyday - The Rogues (2/65; #101 -  The Rogues were actually the production/recording duo of Bruce Johnston and Terry Melcher, with rockin' accompaniment by members of The Wrecking Crew. This Buddy Holly hit would do even better for James Taylor ten years later.)

 
* Woolly Bully - Sam the Sham & The Pharoahs (bubbling under this week, headed to a peak of #2 - going out to Butch in Freeville, this was the first of a string of wacky records on the M-G-M label from this Texas bar band.)



* Taking a Vacation From Love/ Take Me Back - Little Anthony & The Imperials (the first one was a mistake - the second one wouldn't hit the chart until June, and would eventually reach #16. The version we played tonight had added background vocals missing from the original 45.)

 

 

* Cryin' Time - Ray Charles (12/65; #6 - this one would go on to win the Grammy Award for R&B Song of The Year. Going out to Bill in Interlaken, who always loves a good Ray Charles song.)

7-8pm

 Birthday Calendar


March 15 – Mike Love (Beach Boys) – age 79
            – Jerry Jeff Walker – age 78
            – Sly Stone – age 76


March 17 – Nat "King" Cole – born in 1919
            – John Sebastian – age 76


March 18 – Bones Howe (Producer) – age 87
            – Wilson Pickett – born in 1941
           

March 20 – Jerry Reed – born in 1937
          


March 21 – Solomon Burke – born in 1936
            – Chip Taylor – age 79
            – Rose Stone (The Family Stone) – age 74
           

Please Let Me Wonder – Beach Boys (3/65; #52 this week - written and sung by Beach Boys' cousin Mike Love. The A-side was Do You Wanna Dance and had cracked the Top Twenty this very week. FYI - The BB show scheduled for the State Theatre next month has just officially been canceled.) 

 

Mr. Bojangles - Jerry Jeff Walker (7/68; #77 - Jerry was a native of Oneonta, NY and this song was his greatest claim to fame. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band would have a bigger hit with it, and Nina Simone was one of many others to also record it.) 

Everyday People - Sly & The Family Stone (2/69; #1 for four weeks - Sly and Rosie Stone both had birthdays this week. He wrote it, she sings the verses, and Rolling Stone ranks it as #145 out of the Top 500 Singles of the era.)

  

That's All There Is To That - Nat "King" Cole w/ The Four Knights (9/56; #16 - this smooth single on the Capitol label was a classic example of his smooth stylings. Buchanan & Goodman lifted the closing measure of this record for the end of their novelty "break-in record" Buchanan and Goodman on Trial.)

Do You Believe In Magic - Lovin' Spoonful (8/65; #9 - this was the band's debut single on the Kama Sutra label. The hits would dry up after about four years, but this one has withstood the test of time!)

Mini-Spotlight On Bones Howe 

Born in Minneapolis, raised in Sarasota and eventually landing in LA, Dayton Burr Howe was dubbed "Bones" because he was so skinny. He was a master arranger and producer. Here are just three examples of his handiwork:

It Ain't Me Babe - Turtles (8/65; #8 - their adaptation of the Dylan tune was a transition from Surf band to Folk Rock band. They'd continue to morph into a Pop band and eventually go Psychedelic. Bones Howe had members ofthe Wrecking Crew supplement the band's playing.)

Windy - Association (6/67; #1 for four weeks - he changed the 3/4 (Waltz) time signature to a the standard 4/4 Rock beat, had Hal Blaine play the drums, and turned this Ruthann Friedman composition into a Summer-of-Love anthem.)

 

Up, Up and Away - Fifth Dimension (6/67; #7 - this one was written by Jim Webb and set the stage for a string of great collaborations between the group, the composer and the producer. It took home four Grammy Awards that year, including "Record of The Year.")

--------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm a Midnight Mover - Wilson Pickett (7/68; #24 Pop, #6 R&B - Wilson Pickett was a Soul "shouter" who was born in Alabama and migrated to Detroit. He found a very happy home at Atlantic Records. Bet you can't sit still for this one!)

Guitar Man - Jerry Reed (5/67; #53 C&W - this one made no noise on the Pop Charts, but Elvis Presley heard it and was moved to record it and another Jerry Reed composition called "U.S. Male." He even brought Jerry in to play on his record.)

Everybody Needs Somebody to Love - Solomon Burke (7/64; #58 - Rolling Stone ranks it at #436 in their RS500. He also found a great home at Atlantic Records, and was one of Wilson Pickett's idols and mentors.)

 Mini-Spotlight on Chip Taylor 

Chip was born and raised in Yonkers, NY and carved out a musical career while his brother Jon Voight took to acting. Chip wrote a slew of great songs that others would record, and he continues to write and perform to this day. Here are three of his compositions:

Wild Thing - Troggs (7/66; #1 for two weeks - this one was a chart-topper in the UK as well as here, and would famously be part of Jimi Hendrix' incendiary set at the Monterey Pop Festival a year later.)

I Can't Let Go - Evie Sands (1965; dnc - Evie recorded a number of Chip's compositions, but she just couldn't buy a break. The Hollies would get ahold of this one and ride it to the top of the UK charts - and #36 here. She'd later record Angel of The Morning [see the Feb. 29 blog post], only to have the bottom fall out again.)

Angel of the Morning - Merilee Rush and The Turnabouts (5/68; #7 - a year after Cameo-Parkway had declared bankruptcy, taking the wind completely out of Evie Sands' and Chip Taylor's great record, this obscure outfit from the Pacific Northwest got their hands on a copy. They recorded it and scored a national hit with it. Juice Newton would dust it off in the early Eighties and do even better!)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

* Back in My Arms Again - Supremes (6/65; #1 - three months after Stop! In the Name of Love topped the charts, the girls from Detroit would return with this one. The request came in from Becca from Freeville, who sent in a video of her dancing with her sister in the kitchen to their radio. Woot!)

8-9pm




* Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) - The First Edition (2/68; #5 - word broke yesterday that Country superstar Kenny Rogers had passed away at 81 years old. Before he became Nashville royalty, he was in a pretty heavy Psych band and this was their first major label hit.) 

* The Gambler - Kenny Rogers (11/78; #16 pop, #1 C&W for three weeks - if there was any doubt that the transformation was complete, this record took home two Grammys in the C&W category and won the CMA Record of the Year award. It also led to a made-for-TV-movie AND a sequel. R.I.P. Kenny Rogers.) 

Come Home - Dave Clark 5 (3/65; #18 this week, headed to #14 - these guys gave The Beatles a run for the money as the British Invasion washed over America. They still get lots of play on Oldies radio, but this song seems to have all but disappeared from the public consciousness.)

Not Too Long Ago - Uniques (3/65; at #85 this week, headed to #66 - this is another one that's pretty much lost to time. Perhaps its greatest claim to fame is that it was written and sung by future Country star Joe Stampley!)

 

Don't Mess Up a Good Thing - Fontella Bass & Bobby McClure (3/65; peaking at #33 this week, headed to #5 R&B - a nice slice of bouncy Chicago Soul. Gregg Allman would do a nice version on his 1971 LP Laid Back, too.)

* Crazy Downtown - Allan Sherman (3/65; debuting at #90 this week, headed to #40 - this record appeared on the same label as the song it was spoofing, as that very song was still on the chart! The crazy thing is that a lot of people bought their own copies, propelling it to the Top Forty  -  and it wasn't just the kids!)

Yeh, Yeh - Georgie Fame (3/65; peaking at #21 - cool and Jazzy and swingin' enough to make it to #1 in the UK, where the great sax solo remained uncut - unlike here in The States. Tonight we play the UK version!)

I Don't Want to Spoil the Party - The Beatles (3/65; down to #44 from a peak of #39 - this one hitched a ride on the back of Eight Days a Week [see #3 this week] and some Beatles aficianados prefer the B-side. Tonight you get both.)


* People Get Ready - Impressions (3/65; peaking at #14 - the request was called in by an old friend from junior high, and you just can't go wrong with this one. Rolling Stone ranks it at #24 in its RS500. You get no argument from me.)

 

You Can't Hurt Me No More - Gene Chandler (3/65; down to #119 this week from a peak of #92 - but it made it #40 on the R&B chart. Long after The Duke of Earl, this Chicago native churned out great singles. Many of them were written and produced by none other than Curtis Mayfield.)

 

If You Could Read My Mind - Gordon Lightfoot (1/71; #5 - he's got a brand new album out in his 80s, but he was in his prime when this one came out. Tonight you get the 45 version on a pristine record, which is almost impossible to find on CD or LP.)

Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy) - Al Green (10/74; #7 Pop, #2 R&B - one of the happiest records of the Seventies right here!)

LP Spotlight:  Friends - Buzzy Linhart (1971; dnc - Buzzy Linhart was born in Pittsburgh, raised in Chicago and died last month in Berkeley. In between, he spent some time here in the Ithaca area telling stories, making music and making friends. This is his most famous composition - it was a big hit for Bette Midler  -  and we can all use it right about now during these scary and uncertain times.)

Groovy Situation - Gene Chandler (7/70; #12 Pop, #8 R&B - the poppin' bass line in the previous song made me remember this one, which was a giant comeback record for the Duke of Earl. Playing on the session is Jazz bassist Richard Evans, and it's a wonder to behold.)


I'll Never Find Another You - Seekers (3/65; debuting this week at #84 - headed all the way to #4 here in the States and #1 in the UK, where this Australian band was much bigger. Judith Durham sings the stunning lead, accompanied by a big 12-string guitar and some great harmony vocals.)

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 Next Week (3/28/20):  Kim Vaughan with a spotlight TBD*

* note - WVBR may be going on lock down this weekend in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We'll keep you posted....



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.

Thanks again to our sponsors Island Health & Fitness and Rasa Spa for their support every week!