May 16, 2020 - JS - Hits in The UK

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:  5/16-20
Host:  John Simon
Feature:  Hits In The UK

I'm your "ghost host" on tonight's radio show. Tune in and get your mind blown! 6-9pm on 93.5 locally, streaming at wvbr.com worldwide. Original versions of songs that were hits for other artists over here, records you're SURE must've charted in The States (including records ranked by Rolling Stone as the #42 and #201 greatest singles of all time!) but didn't, a birthday calendar with Donovan and Steve Winwood and Jack Bruce, a short tribute to the late Little Richard, and so much more. See you on the radio!

Again -  all chart info below is for the UK charts. Only a handful of these records ever registered on the Billboard charts here in The States.

  




(scroll down 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)

Here Comes the Night - Lulu (11/64; #50 - from the pen of Bert Berns, this would later be a hit in England and here in The States by Van Morrison's group Them. Listen for studio player Jimmy Page on that cool guitar riff!) 

 

Shakin' All Over - Johnny Kidd & The Pirates (6/60; #1 - this would eventually became a Rock 'n' Roll "standard," with hit versions by the Guess Who and The Who. Like all of these first five records, each of these songs originated in the UK and none of them charted over here.)

 

You're The One - Petula Clark (11/65; #23 - Petula shared composer credits on this album track with her arranger Tony Hatch. When Pennyslvania's Vogues took it to #5 here in America, her label released her version as a single and it nearly cracked the Top Twenty!)


The Crying Game - Dave Berry (8/64; #5 - Brenda Lee would reach #87 with it a few months later in America, but Boy George would take it all the way to #1 thirty years later when it appeared in the film of the same name.)

I Love You - Zombies (9/65; dnc - this was the B-Side of their single "Whenever You're Ready." Three years later People would record it and have a hit with a copycat version, even replicating Rod Argent's keyboard solo note-for-note. This is the source material.)


Atlantis - The Shadows (3/63; #2 - these guys were the British equivalent of America's Ventures: the most prolific guitar-driven instrumental band on the continent! They had as many hits backing up Cliff Richard as they did on their own, which made them twice as prolific as their US counterparts.)

That's Why I'm Crying - Ivy League (5/65; #22 - this outfit had one big hit in the States in "Tossin' & Turning." This one never registered over here, but it's a gorgeous ballad that hit over in England.)


As You Used to Do - Ian & The Zodiacs (1965; dnc - this was an album track for the band from Liverpool. It appears that they were big on the local club scene at the same time as that other popular group from Liverpool, and that they were apparently held in the same esteem for a while....)


Love At First Sight - Sounds Nice, Featuring Tim Mycroft (11/69; dnc - this majestic organ piece was essentially the same music arrangement as that used in Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin's "Je T'Aime....Moi Non Plus"  -  minus the steamy heavy breathing and simulated sounds of a sexual romp. The vocal version reached #1 all over Europe. This one watched from the sidelines.)

 

Reflections of Charles Brown - Rupert's People (7/67; dnc - this came out about the same time that "A Whiter Shade of Pale" did, and both incorporated Bach's "Air On the G-String" organ line. Note: this record DID chart at #13 in Australia AND at #7 in Vancouver!)


Albatross - Fleetwood Mac (2/69; #1 for three weeks - this atmospheric instrumental was recorded by Peter Green's version of Fleetwood Mac and it nearly charted over here at #105.)

Juliet - Four Pennies (4/64; #1 for two weeks - while The Beatles were busy conquering the United States, this vocal group slipped into the #1 slot on the UK charts. It would be released here in the States and stall at #116.)


What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong (2/68; #1 for five weeks - in the believe-it-or-not department, this record totally tanked here in The States. Allegedly, the record label head was angry that this sounded nothing like "Hello, Dolly," so he instructed his Sales team to do nothing to promote it. It stalled at #116. Twenty years later it would finally reach #32 in the States after appearing in the Robin Williams film "Good Morning Vietnam!")

 

Hey Joe - Jimi Hendrix Experience (1/67; #6 - American Jimi Hendrix had to leave the States to finally achieve fame and fortune. This disc got stuck at #105 over here, but Rolling Stone Magazine would eventually rank it as the #201 single in their RS500.)


Waterloo Sunset - Kinks (5/67; #2 - this single never even bubbled under over here. In the UK it was a big, big hit. It would eventually be acknowledged as a masterpiece and would achieve a #42 ranking in the RS500.)

I Wanna Be Your Man - Rolling Stones (11/63; #12 - according to the lore, Brian and Mick bumped into John & Paul and asked them if they "had anything" for them. The Beatles gave them this throwaway tune and the Stones were off to the races. It would later become a vehicle for Ringo's singing voice on a Beatles LP.)

7-8pm

 Birthday Calendar


May 10 – Donovan – age 74
            – Dave Mason – age 74
            – Graham Gouldman – age 74


May 11 – Eric Burdon – age 79
            

May 12 – Burt Bacharach – age 92
            – Steve Winwood – age 72
            


May 14 – Jack Bruce (Cream) born in 1943

Baby Let Me Take You Home - Animals (4/64; #21 - this Blues-rocker would later appear as a B-Side here in the States, and was the Animals' first charting record in England. Their next release would storm to the top of the charts on both sides of the ocean!)


Every Little Bit Hurts - Spencer Davis Group (2/65; #43 - in addition to thumping dance records like "I'm A Man" and Gimme Some Lovin'," 16-year old Steve Winwood could sing a soulful ballad with the passion and nuance of a much older singer. This had been a big hit on the Motown label for Brenda Holloway a year earlier.)

 

Trains and Boats and Planes - Burt Bacharach (3/65; #4 - renowned composer Bacharach was given performer's credit on this MOR version of one of his many great songs. Billy J. Kramer and Dionne Warwwick would also chart with it in their respective countries, but this made it to #4 in England.)


Turquiose - Donovan (11/65; #30 - this may have never been released in America as a single, but its spare and haunting arrangement was very similar to his own "Catch the Wind." No noise over here, but....beautiful little piece!)

No Milk Today - Herman's Hermits (10/66; #7 - this one was relegated to the B-Side of "There's a Kind of Hush" over here in the States a year later and would actually reach #35 on the Billboard chart on its own, but we were way behind the times. It was written by Graham Gouldman, who also penned big hits for the Hollies and the Yardbirds and others.)

I Feel Free - Cream (12/66; #11 - hard to believe, but this one only got airplay on FM stations here in the States. That's Jack Bruce on lead vocals and bass. He also wrote this one.)


Get Down With It - Little Richard (1/67; dnc - news had just come out last week that Rock 'n' Roll pioneer Little Richard had passed away at 88 years old. He can truly be considered one of the Architects of Rock 'n' Roll, along with contemporaries Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis. He taught Paul McCartney how to go "Woooo!" He influenced a generation of performers, but he'd stopped appearing on the charts by the mid-60s. This record was cut in England using members of Bluesology for backing musicians and released as a single on Okeh Records, and I don't understand how it wasn't a smash.)

To Love Somebody - Nina Simone (1/69; #5 - the Bee Gees scored a big worldwide hit with this one in the Summer of 1967. American Nina Simone had a big hit with it, too  -  but only in England.)


Something's Got a Hold of My Heart - Gene Pitney (11/67; #5 - this inexplicably flopped in the US, stalling at #130. It was a big seller in the UK.)

Ladies of The Canyon - Joni Mitchell (6/70; #8 - this was the title track of the Canadian singer/songwriter's brand new album. It was released as a single in the UK and reached the Top Ten.)


Beggin' - Timebox (10/68; #38 - this had been a hit for the 4 Seasons in America about a year prior.)


Rudi's In Love - The Locomotive (10/68; #25 - England had a big West Indian migrant population, so Jamaican rhythms were commonly heard back in the day  -  think "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da." This bouncy Ska number is a great example.) 

I Shall Be Released - The Tremeloes, feat. the Keith Mansfield Strings (12/68; #29 - Bob Dylan was churning out great songs in the Woodstock area. The Band had a hit with this one in the States, and these guys  -  with uncharacteristic symphonic backing  -  hit with it over there.)


Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard (3/63; #1 - with 67 Top Ten entries on the UK charts, Cliff Richard's five-decade career makes him the British answer to Elvis. Backed up by the Shadows, here's one of a string of their #1 records.)


White Horses - Jacky (4/68; #10 - this TV theme song was a big hit in the UK, but was never heard over on these shores.)

8-9pm

He's In Town - Rockin' Berries (10/64; #3 - Carole King & Gerry Goffin wrote it. The Tokens released it in the States and I'm pretty certain that these guys copied the Brooklyn kids note-for-note. It certainly paid off for them!)

 

Everlasting Love - Love Affair (8/67; #1 - Robert Knight had the hit on this side of the ocean, but not THIS big a hit. In the Seventies Carl Carlton would hit with it. In the Eighties it would be Rex Smith and Rachel Sweet.)


Move Over Darling - Doris Day (3/64; #8 - Jack Nitzsche was responsible for the strings and vocal arrangement, but Doris Day's management was reluctant to release something this so "sexy" here in America. The English distributors had no such compunctions.)

Lovers of the World Unite - David & Jonathan (7/66; #7 - these guys had a charting version of The Beatles' "Michelle" over here in 1966, but this one never made any splash over here. By the way "David & Jonathan" were really the songwriting/production team of Roger Greenway and Roger Cook.)


Bye Bye, Baby - Bay City Rollers  (3/75; #1 - this is another one that had been a big American hit for the 4 Seasons several years earlier. The first time I'd ever heard it was in the film "Love, Actually.")


Julie Do Ya Love Me - White Plains (10/70; #8 - this was released in England at about the same time that Bobby Sherman's version was released in the States. Each version was a big hit in its respective country.)

Everything I Own - Ken Boothe (9/74; #1 - Bread had scored a respectable hit with this one a couple of years earlier but that didn't interfere with this Reggae-flavored version's success. Amazingly, Boy George would also take this song to #1 in the Nineties.)


Mull of Kintyre - Wings (11/71; #1 for nine weeks - as a B-Side in the States, this was something of an obscurity over here. In the UK it was only the most successful single ever!)

If I Had You - Korgis (1/79; #13 - years later, these guys released a single called "Something About The Beatles," which acknowledged their musical debt to the groundbreaking band from Liverpool. You can hear some John Lennon influence in this record.)


Here, There and Everywhere - Episode Six (8/66; dnc - when it became clear that The Beatles weren't going to release this one as a single, these guys did. One noteworthy sidebar: two of these guys would go on to form Deep Purple. Yep, THAT Deep Purple.)

Sitting In the Park - Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames (12/66; #12 - it turned out that Blue Flames keyboardist Georgie Fame could also sing, which hadn't been widely known until their lead singer left. He went onto score a bunch of great hits in England. This is a very respectful cover of Billy Stewart's Soul hit from a year earlier.)


Tell Him - Billie Davis (2/63; #10 - The Exciters had the hit with this one in the US of A, but this Lulu-styled shouter scored big in the UK.)

Waiting In Vain - Bob Marley & The Wailers (9/77; #27 - hard as it is to believe, this one never charted in The States. We'll wind down this week's show with this classic Reggae number from the "Legend" LP.)

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 (5/23/20):  Jan Hunsinger with a spotlight on "Foursomes"



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!