April, 24, 2021 - JR - Golden Oldies from the J-Archives!

 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:  4/24/2021

Host:  JR

Feature: Golden Oldies from the J-Archives!

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  

Lonely Teardrops - Jackie Wilson - 1958

My True Story - The Jive Five - 1961 

It's Too Late -  Chuck Willis - 1956 - Eric Clapton was a big fan of "The King of the Stroll" and covered this with Derek And The Dominoes.  Check out this video from their only U.S. television appearance on the Johnny Cash Show!!!

Statler Brothers - Flowers On The Wall - 1966 - "Smokin' cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo..."

Midnight In Moscow - Kenny Ball And His Jazzmen - 1961 - Listen to one of the Jazzmen get excited at 2:16!  Kenny is the trumpet player...

A Swingin' Safari - Bert Kaempfert - 1962 - Bert produced the Hamburg sessions of the Beatles in the early 60's!

Clean Up Your Own Back Yard - Elvis - 1970

Heroes And Villains - Beach Boys - 1967 - The first single released off the greatest album that never was: Smile, which was eventually released as Smiley Smile (click here for the whole story).

Make Your Own Kind Of Music - Mama Cass Elliot - 1969 - Written by Mann/Weil.

Scarborough Fair - Sergio Mendes And Brasil '66 - 1968

45 Corner

Revival (Love Is Everywhere) - Allman Brothers - 1970 - First single released from their second LP Idlewild South; peaked at #92.  The 45 version, on Capricorn Records, trimmed the LP version from 4:07 to 2:41, but at least retained the instrumental section and the great cold ending!

The River Is Wide - Grass Roots - 1969 - This was originally done by the L.A. band The Forum in 1967.

Don't Give In To Him - Gary Puckett And The Union Gap- 1969

You Can Have Her - Roy Hamilton - 1961

Before the Birthday Calendar, a tribute to Poco steel guitarist Rusty Young, who passed away on April 13th at age 75.

A Good Feeling To Know - 1972 - Check out this really cool clip!

Rose Of Cimarron - 1976

7pm - 8pm

Birthday Calendar

April 19 - Mark Volman (Turtles) - 77                                 Dickie Goodman - 1934  

April 20 - Johnny Tillotson - 82

April 21 - Paul Davis - 1945

April 22 - Paul Carrack - 70                                               Peter Frampton - 71                                           Glen Campbell - 1945

April 23 - Barbra Streisand - 79                                         Roy Orbison - 1936                                           Ray Peterson - 1939 

April 24 - Doug Clifford (CCR) - 76

I Put a Spell on You - Creedence Clearwater Revival - 1968

Corinna, Corinna - Ray Peterson - 1960

Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel) - Roy Orbison - 1961

You Don't Bring Me Flowers - Neil Diamond & Barbra Streisand - 1978

Batman And His Grandmother - Dickie Goodman - King of the "drop-in" records, this used snippets of hits of the day to conduct the "interview".  

Silent Running - Mike + The Mechanics - 1986 - Lead vocals by Paul Carrack, who has also been in the groups Ace and Squeeze, had a solo career in the early 80's and now sings with Ringo Starr's All-Stars!  A great voice and a versatile musician...

I'm In You - Peter Frampton - 1977 - The follow-up to the mega-million selling Comes Alive, the album and the single both peaked at #2 on the Billboard charts.

Dreams Of The Everyday Housewife - Glen Campbell - 1968

Elenore - The Turtles - 1968 - Interesting story behind this song!  Click here.

Ride 'Em Cowboy - Paul Davis - 1975

You Can Never Stop Me Loving You - Johnny Tillotson - 1963 - I love the time changes in this song, very unusual for a pop record of the early 60's!

To end the second hour:

Cry Baby - Garnet Mimms &

 The Enchanters - 1963 - The late Bert Berns was a musical genius who died much too young.  He wrote and produced this and also "discovered" Van Morrison, produced his early sides and signed Neil Diamond to his BANG Records label!  

Dark Eyed Woman - Spirit - 1969

Hold Tight - Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky Mick and Tich - 1968 - This song never charted in the U.S. but gained some notoriety when it was used in the Quentin Tarantino film Grindhouse: Death Proof in 2007.

High Flying Bird - 1966 - Jefferson Airplane - From their first album Takes Off, with original female vocalist Signe Toly Anderson.

Roadrunner - 1972 - Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers - What a sound out of Boston in the early 70's!  One of the best songs about... radio!  Member Jerry Harrison was in Talking Heads and member David Robinson joined the Cars.

 

8pm - 9pm

Ol' 55 - The Eagles - 1974 - From the LP On The Border, this is off the pen of Tom Waits.

 

Harry Truman - Chicago - 1975

Roger Daltrey - Avenging Annie - 1977

5:15 - The Who - 1973 - Quadrophenia!  The movie version came out in 1979. 

Overnight Sensation (Hit Record) Raspberries - 1974 - One of the greatest false endings, ever!

An Old Fashioned Love Song -Three Dog Night - 1972

Victoria - Kinks - 1970

If I Can't Have You - Yvonne Elliman - 1978 - Written by the Gibb Brothers, who did the original version, but it was the strings and "disco" flourishes that made this the best version.

  

Roll On Down The Highway - Bachman-Turner Overdrive- 1974

Hey Western Union Man - Jerry Butler - 1968

As we wind down the show this week, 3 songs that were WVBR "hits" in the late 70's!  Carlene Carter, Johnny Cash's step-daughter, was married to Nick Lowe from 1979 - 1990. 

Love Is Gone - Carlene Carter - 1979 - Her backing band for this was The Rumour (Graham Parker's chums moonlighting!)

Nick Lowe - American Squirm - 1979

Rolene - Moon Martin - 1979 - His mom called him "John" and he also penned "A Bad Case Of Loving You (Doctor Doctor)" for Robert Palmer.

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

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!

Host This Week (5/1): JS, First of May and other great oldies!

April 17, 2021 - GJ - Animal Tracks

 Rockin’ Remnants

Rockin’ Remnants is broadcast from WVBR-FM Ithaca. Check out our webpage, like us on Facebook, and tune in to 93.5 FM or stream the show every Saturday night from 6-9 p.m. Eastern. (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: April 17, 2021

Host:  Gregory James

Feature: Animal Tracks

Birthday Calendar

April 12

John Kay  (Steppenwolf)  77 years old

David Cassidy   (b. 1950  d. 2017)

April 13

Al Green    75 years old

Peabo Bryson    70 years old

Max Weinberg   70 years old

Lowell George   (b. 1945  d. 1979)

Lester Chambers 81 years old

Jack Cassady    77 years old

April 15

Dave Edmunds 77 years old

April 16

Bobby Vinton 86 years old

Gerry Rafferty  (b. 1947  d. 2011)

Dusty Springfield    (b. 1939  d. 1999)

Henry Mancini (b. 1924  d. 1994)

Roy Hamilton         (b. 1929  d. 1969)

April 17

Roy Estrada 78 years old

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 subsequent dates) unless otherwise noted

* glossary of terms is below the playlist

6-7 pm

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

Hound Dog Big Mama Thornton  1953   #1 (seven weeks) R&B

Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller were 19 years old when Johnny Otis asked them to write a 12 bar blues song that would revive Willie Mae Thornton’s career. After they witnessed her singing other songs, they came up with Hound Dog in 15 minutes. Thornton added several vocal flourishes, some spoken dialogue and a syncopated delivery that never repeated itself.

Bear Cat Rufus Thomas     1953

This was the fastest “Answer record” to an established hit on record. Lyrics were written by Sam Phillips and recorded at Sun Studios two weeks after Hound Dog was released and it was on store shelves two weeks after that.

The Lonely Bull Herb Alpert/Tijuana Brass    1962  #6

Alpert played trumpet in the USC Marching Band while he was in college. The Tijuana Brass was really the Wrecking Crew and Alpert’s multi-tracked trumpet.  

*Blackbird Beatles   1968  NR

Legend has it that Donovan taught McCartney the finger picking guitar technique he uses on this track. The bird song heard at the end is an actual blackbird, and McCartney’s foot tapping can be heard throughout the track. Requested by Gary.

Dog and Butterfly Heart     1979    #34

Ann Wilson was inspired to write the song after she observed a dog repeatedly chasing a butterfly.  When the going gets tough…

Monkey Time  Major Lance   1963  #9 H100  #2 R&B

The song was written by Curtis Mayfield, who helped Lance get his start in the record business.  Lance is the father of Keisha Lance Bottoms, the mayor of Atlanta.

Mockingbird   Inez and Charlie Foxx 1963   #7 H100   #2 R&B

This track sold over a million copies on the Symbol label.

White Bird It’s a Beautiful Day 1969 #118

Patti Santos sang the duet with David LaFlamme who also overdubbed all of the violin parts.

The Lion Sleeps Tonight Solomon Linda 1939 NR  

Tokens 1961  #1 H100 and 1962 #7 R&B

In Zulu, song’s original title was “Mbube” which means “lion.” Solomon Linda (top photo) worked at Gallo Records and moonlighted as a performer with the Evening Birds. When the group went into the recording studio, Solomon Linda improvised the melody that eventually became “In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight.” 

Bluebird Buffalo Springfield   1967  #58

The banjo solo at the end was played by Charlie Chin, pictured above, whom Stephen Stills knew from his folk music days in Greenwich Village.

Dead Skunk   Loudon Wainwright 1973  #16

The song was based on actual events. Wainwright said, “Someone had already killed [the skunk], but I ran over it.”

*Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey   Beatles  1968  White Album  NR

As the Maharishi used to say “everybody’s got something to hide.” For Brooktondale Peggy and the Honey Hive Crew from Scottie.

*At the Zoo Simon and Garfunkel   1967    #16

This track was originally released as the A-side to “Feelin’ Groovy” and then turned up on the “Bookends” LP. So both sides of this single concerned themselves with enjoyment of New York City. In the late 1970s the song was licensed for use by the Bronx Zoo, the San Francisco Zoo and the Oregon Zoo. Suggested by John Simon.

7-8 pm

Sookie Sookie     Steppenwolf   1968  DNC

The song was written by Don Covay and Steve Cropper for Steppenwolf’s debut album.

The Last Kiss   David Cassidy   1985  NR

George Michael sang backing vocals.

Take Me to the River       Al Green    1974  DNC

Al Green co-wrote it and, good as the Talking Heads’ version is, IMHO, Green gives the definitive performance of the song.

I’m So Into You      Peabo Bryson 1979    #109

It doesn’t get any smoother than this.

Roulette    Max Weinberg/Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band  1979

Springsteen’s response to the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster, the track was left off of “The River” LP.

Willin’   Little Feat 1972   (Sailin’ Shoes LP)

Outstanding work by Bill Payne on piano and Sneaky Pete on pedal steel guitar. Lowell George got the idea for the song from his time working at a gas station and listening to truckers tell their stories of the road. 

The Weight   Chambers Brothers    1973  NR

A really fine cover of the Band’s song.

Hesitation Blues Hot Tuna 1970

Hot Tuna has never had a charting single.

A1 on the Jukebox Dave Edmunds    1978  DNC

Record charts are not the only measure of success.

Trouble Is My Middle Name  Bobby Vinton 1963 #33

Who would have guessed?

Change of Heart Gerry Rafferty   1982   NR

Spooky  Dusty Springfield  1970 NR

As full of self-doubt as she was, Dusty recorded very fine covers as well as signature songs that have become iconic.

Pink Panther      Henry Mancini 1964 #31

Mancini won four Oscars for his film scores and twenty Grammys, including the 1965 Grammy winner for Best Instrumental Composition for “Pink Panther.”

Dark End of the Street    Roy Hamilton 1969  NR

While Hamilton’s vocal style could sometimes verge on the operatic, this track, released in the final year of his life, is deeply soulful.

Easy to Slip  Little Feat  DNC

From the LP “Sailing Shoes” which was Roy Estrada’s last recording with Little Feat.

8-9 pm

The Bird is the Word   Rivingtons 1963 #52 H100  #27 R&B

This was the follow up to “Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow” and had a similar chord progression. The melody was copied by the Trashmen in 1964 as “Surfin’ Bird.”

Fly Like an Eagle  Steve Miller 1977   #2H100   #20 R&B

The track takes some musical inspiration from “Slippin’ Into 

Darkness” by War.

The Snake Al Wilson   1969 #27 H100   #32  R&B   

The track stands out as an excellent example of Northern Soul despite its recent appropriation for political purposes.

Alley Cat    Bent Fabric 1962 #7

This record won the 1963 Grammy for best rock and roll recording. The other nominees were: “You Beat Me to the Punch,” “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,” “Twistin’ the Night Away,” “Up on the Roof,” and “Big Girls Don’t Cry.”  Hmmm...

Tiger Fabian  1959  #3 H100,  #15 R&B

This was Fabian’s most successful single, charting on both the Hot 100 and the R&B charts.

Little Red Rooster   Sam Cooke  1963   #11 H100 #7 R&B

Sam Cooke adapted this Willie Dixon blues shouter to a smooth R&B track. You can hear Cooke calling out to a young Billy Preston who uses his keyboard to create the sounds of a rooster crowing and dogs barking.

Chestnut Mare Byrds   1970   #121  H100

Written by Roger McGuinn in consultation with psychologist Jacques Levy for a country rock musical called “Gene Tryp”—an anagram of the play title Peer Gynt by Henrik Ibsen from which “Gene Tryp” was adapted. The project was eventually abandoned, but some of the songs endure—like this one which has always seemed to me to be the kind of story that a psychologist might hear from a client on the couch.

Wildfire  Michael Martin Murphey  1975   #3

Based on a Native American legend about a ghost horse, Murphey has said that the song came to him in a dream. The piano intro and outro was played by Jac Murphy (no relation).

Simon Smith and his Amazing Dancing Bear   Randy Newman   1972  NR

Newman has said this song was the beginning of a new style of writing for him.

Walking the Dog   Rufus Thomas   1963   #10 H100

Thomas called himself “the world’s oldest teenager.” He was a master of many trades: singer, songwriter, dancer, dj and mentor to many younger artists associated with Stax Records, such as Otis Redding and his daughter, Carla Thomas. 

Hey Bulldog Beatles    1969

The track was going to be called “Hey Bullfrog” until Paul began barking and John started ad-libbing in the persona of the dog’s exasperated owner.  Paul’s bass line and the lead guitar solo (by either George or John depending on whom you believe) are dazzling. 

Me and You and a Dog Named Boo   Lobo 1971 #5

The song title was inspired, no joke, by his German Shepherd named Boo.

*Puff the Magic Dragon Peter Paul and Mary  1963   #2 H100, #10 R&B

There is a Cornell connection with this song. The song is based on a 1959 poem by Leonard Lipton who was a Cornell student who knew the housemate of Peter Yarrow, a fellow Cornellian.  Lipton apparently (or apocryphally) typed the poem on Peter Yarrow’s typewriter and left it in the typewriter.  Yarrow came across the poem, apparently still in his typewriter and adapted the poem to form the lyrics of “Puff.” Happy ending: Lipton was credited as co-lyricist and he receives royalties from the song. Suggested by Gary.  

Rockin’ Robin  Bobby Day  1958  #2 H100, #1 R&B

Day was the original Bob in the duo Bob and Earl.

Bird Dog Everly Brothers   1958  # H100, #2 R&B  

Yet another song that zoomorphizes people.

Tom Cat Rooftop Singers 1963 #20

Recording on the Vanguard label, this folk group incorporated blues and ragtime, as evident by this track. 

Too Many Fish in the Sea   Marvelettes  1965   #25 H100  #15 R&B

Too many fish, too little time…

CLOSING THEME: Sleep Walk – Santo and 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, publisher of the Hot 100 and other charts

H100 = Billboard Hot 100

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

CW = Billboard’s chart for country and western records

R&B = Billboard’s chart of rhythm and blues records

RRHOF = Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

RS 500 = Rolling Stone Magazine’s ranking of the top 500 singles of all time.

Host April 24, 2021: John Rudan 

Thanks for tuning in! You can listen to Rockin’ Remnants every Saturday night from 6-9 p.m. Eastern on WVBR (93.5 FM in Ithaca NY) or streaming on WVBR.com.

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