April 3, 2021 - JS - Bubbling Under/Low-Charters

 

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:  4/3/21

Host:  John Simon

Feature:  Low-Charting Treasure

 

 Speaking of numbers, Happy 4-3-2-1. I'm back on the radio tonight with a special spotlight on low-charting Oldies (nothing higher than #91). Come with me to The Bubbling Under Chart! 6-9pm on 93.5 locally (streaming at wvbr dot com). Good company, great tunes, and it won't cost you a cent! C'mon by.

 

Note: We'll start by mining the charts from the Spring of 1967.

 

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)

 

 

Break On Through (To the Other Side) - The Doors  (4/67; #126 - the debut single from their debut album got stuck at #126. Elektra Records decided to try again with another album track, edited down from 6+ minutes to 2:48. It was called Light My Fire, and spent four weeks at #1.)

 

My Best Friend - Jefferson Airplane (2/67; #102 - the debut single from their debut album with Grace Slick in the line-up got stuck at #102. The two subsequent singles - Somebody To Love and White Rabbit - both went Top Ten.)

 

Some Kind Of Wonderful - Soul Brothers Six (6/67; #91 - six guys from Rochester dropped this one into the mix on Atlantic Records. It inexplicably spent one week on the Pop Chart - and ZERO weeks on the R&B Chart - and disappeared. An excellent song won't die, though. Grand Funk hit #3 with their version in '75 and Huey Lewis and The News almost cracked the Top Forty in '94.)

 

Walk Tall - 2 of Clubs (3/67; #92 - this one spent three short weeks on the national chart, thanks to lots of play in the midwest from whence they hailed. Tonight: a rare stereo version just for you!)

 

Bittersweet - The Robbs (2/67; #116 Cashbox - this made no ripples on Billboard, but Cashbox ranked it, and it spent a couple of weeks at #1 in Milwaukee. It had all the ingredients for a hit: major label, super songwriting/production team, daily exposure on national television's "Where the Action Is," a catchy hook.... but no dice!)

 

You've Been Untrue - Delfonics (4/67; dnc - this one was co-written and produced by Philadelphia's Thom Bell, and it should have been a smash. Unfortunately, Cameo-Parkway Records was in the process of going bankrupt, and distribution was very limited. Within a year they'd be on a new label and have a big crossover hit with La La Means I Love You.)

 

Marryin' Kind of Love - The Critters (2/67; #111 - their first two records were big hits on the East coast, but this one fizzled. They'd have one more Top 40 hit before they were disbanded due to the Draft and college.)

 

Here, There & Everywhere - Claudine Longet (3/67; #126 - John Lennon allegedly calls this song the "best thing" that Paul ever wrote. It was skipped over when it was time to select a single from the Revolver LP - that honor went to Yellow Submarine and to Eleanor Rigby - so several other acts tried. None of them really took hold.)

 

* Where the Boys Are - Connie Francis (1/61; #4 - this was the theme song from a big Hollywood teen film starring George Hamilton. Neil Sedaka co-wrote it, and Barbara from Danby calls it in every year to commemorate Spring Break. I was ready for her!)

 

I Don't Think You Know Me - American Breed (4/67; #124 Cashbox - another one with a great pedigree: composed by Goffin-King, bolstered by a great horn section and a good dance beat, but nobody was listening. There would be two more flops before the band would break through with Bend Me, Shape Me. And then they'd go on to become the nucleus of Funk band Rufus!)

 

* Big Bird - Eddie Floyd (3/68; #132 - Eddie apparently wrote this while waiting for a flight in England, but it inexplicably floundered: #132 on the Pop chart, and ZERO on the R&B chart. And this was on the thriving Stax Records label! George from E. Genoa called this one in. He knew a good thing....)

 

45 Corner:  Abraham, Martin & John - Moms Mabley (6/69; #35 Pop, #18 R&B - today marks the 53rd anniversary of MLK's famous final speech where he says "Like anybody, I would like to live...." The next day he'd be gunned down in Memphis. Two months later RFK would be gunned down in LA. Songwriter Dick Holler captured the nation's pain in this simple song. Dion had a big hit with it. Tom Clay did, and Smokey & The Miracles did, too...but this one gets me every time. I don't know that it exists on CD, so here's the original Mercury Records 45. 💔)

 

* Tommy - Reparata & The Del Rons (5/65; #92 - they were a Catholic High School trio from Queens, NY, and young boys named "Tom" were certain that they were singing about them. This one goes out to Tom P., who used to play this on WVBR when HE was a young man. Draw your own conclusions....)

 

One Step Ahead - Aretha Franklin (5/65; #119 Pop, #18 R&B - the famed Rev. CL Franklin had a daughter with a voice that only God could have created. Columbia Records signed her at a young age, but didn't quite know how to market her. Jazz singer? Torch singer? Blues singer? This was one of her final Columbia releases before Atlantic bought her contract. They knew what they had, and she eventually came to be known as "The Queen of Soul.")

 

 

 

7-8pm

 

 Birthday Calendar

 

March 30 – Eric Clapton – age 76

          

March 31 – Herb Alperrt – age 86

 

April 1 – Debbie Reynolds – age 89

            – Rudolph Isley – age 82

            – Jimmy Cliff – age 73

             

April 2 – Leon Russell – born in 1942

            – Marvin Gaye – born in 1939

 

April 3 – Jeff Barry – age 83

            – Wayne Newton – age 79

            – Billy Joe Royal – born in 1942

            – Tony Orlando – age 77

            – Don Gibson – born in 1928

            – Jan Berry (Jan & Dean) – b. in 1941

 

 

Hello Old Friend - Eric Clapton (10/76; #24 - he's had one of the most storied careers in popular music: Yardbirds, Cream, Blind Faith, Derek & The Dominoes and more, but he crafted some terrific Pop tunes, too. This is one of them.)

 

Tammy - Debbie Reynolds (8/57; #1 for five weeks - she broke into show biz as a dancer - check her out in Singing In The Rain - but she had a lovely singing voice, too. She also had a lovely daughter named Carrie Fisher, but that's another story for another time.)

 

What Now My Love - Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass (3/66; #24 - Herb Alpert recorded a string of wildly successful instrumental albums, and sold a lot of records for his co-owned A&M label. This recording earned him a Grammy for best Pop Instrumental of the year. He's 86 and he's still playing.)

 

It's Your Thing - Isley Brothers (3/69; #2 Pop, #1 R&B for four weeks - these guys have recently entered their seventh decade as recording artists. They had the original hits of Shout, Twist and Shout, Nobody But Me and more. They recorded for RCA, Wand, Atlantic and Motown before finally forming their own T-Neck label. This was their debut record on that label. Success!)

 

Many Rivers to Cross - Jimmy Cliff (7/72; dnc - most of the world first heard this song in the film "The Harder They Come." Some know it as a Linda Ronstadt song, some as a Nilsson song, and it was a hit in the hands of Desmond Dekker. Here's the original. Critic Dave Marsh ranks it at #423 in his list of the 1,000 best singles of all time.)

 

Spotlight On Leon Russell:

 

Leon Russell was born and raised in Lawton, Oklahoma. He played piano and guitar (and just about everything else) and eventually landed in La, where he started getting session work with the musicians who loosely formed the famed Wrecking Crew. He rose to become an arranger, a producer, a composer and a performer. Tonight we pause to honor "The Master of Space and Time."

 

Love of The Common People - Wayne Newton (10/67; #106 - several acts recorded this one, including The Four Preps and The Winstons. Leon Russell was the arranger on this version by birthday boy Wayne Newton. It just missed the Hot 100.)

 

3,000 Miles - Brian Hyland (4/66; #99 - Brian Hyland kept evolving as an artist and his records become more sophisticated as he grew. This one spent one lone week on the chart, bolstered by Leon Russell's arrangement, his piano, his background vocals and his tympani playing!)

 

Sure Gonna Miss Her - Gary Lewis & The Playboys (3/66; #9 - Producer Snuff Garrett made sure that Leon Russell was part of his team whenever possible, especially when it came to Gary Lewis & The Playboys recordings. Their first seven singles were Top Tens. Leon played on all of them.)

 

She Came In Through the Bathroom Window - Joe Cocker (12/69; #30 - the version we hear tonight was recorded on Easter Sunday in 1970 at the Fillmore East as part of the "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" Tour. Leon Russell was the band leader and is the voice who says "I just wanna say...don't get hung up about Easter.")

 

Where Are We Going - Marvin Gaye (1973; dnc - shortly after the What's Going On sessions and the Let's Get It On sessions, Marvin was searching for his direction. He recorded a bunch of material that would later be released as the Trouble Man soundtrack, although this was omitted. It's finally seeing the light of day, and it's a thing of beauty.)

 

* Barbara - The Temptations (4/60; #29 - we interrupt this Birthday Calendar to celebrate a local birthday: Terry called in to ask for something special for his wife's birthday. Just like this record, she was born in April of 1960. And just like this record, her name is "Barbara." The only thing is that these aren't the Detroit Temptations!)

 

Sea of Heartbreak - Don Gibson (6/61; #21 Pop, #2 C&W - his songs were covered by artists ranging from Ray Charles to Neil Young, but I'm playing my favorite of them all tonight. Enjoy!)

 

Hush - Billy Joe Royal (9/67; #52 - Billy Joe was friends with Joe South, who wrote some of BJ's biggest hits. He also wrote this killer tune, which proved an even bigger hit for Deep Purple. This one came first.)

 

 

8-9pm

 

Then He Kissed Me/Be My Baby - Rachel Sweet (3/81; dnc - record producer Jeff Barry was also a successful singer and songwriter who was behind hundreds of records, including many Girl Group classics. To celebrate his birthday, here's a medley of two of his greatest hits. This was the first single plucked from her album for release. When it flopped, they released her duet with Rex Smith. That one fared much better.)

 

Cupid - Tony Orlando & Dawn (3/76; #22 - Tony got his start as a demo singer. He had a couple of solo hits, sang on some TV jingles, and then teamed up with the duo called "Dawn." This was their final Top 40 hit, but they were a big deal on TV and on the radio in the early Seventies.)

 

Ride the Wild Surf - Jan & Dean (9/64; #16 - Jan Berry was one of the first producers to utilize the session players that would become "The Wrecking Crew." This one ends with a musical tip of the hat to "I Want To Hold Your Hand." Just listen.)

 

Ooh Child- Valerie Carter (4/77; #103 - she was a first-call session singer who was offered a contract to record a full studio album. This was selected as the debut single, and it shoulda been a hit.)

 

Ridin' In My Car - NRBQ (7/77; dnc - Al Anderson wrote, sang and played guitar on this College Radio classic. It was a big regional hit in Connecticut, but flopped nationally. Tiny label, no promotions budget, poor distribution networks...a familiar tale tonight.)

 

From Us to You - Stairsteps (3/76; #102 Pop, #10 R&B - this family group from Chicago was down to four, led by brothers Keni & Clarence Burke Jr., when they were signed to George Harrison's record label. Billy Preston took on production duties and added keyboards to many of the tracks. This was the lead single, and it was a hit on the R&B stations.)

 

Can't Get Over Losing You - Donnie Elbert (11/70; #98 Pop, #26 R&B - his biggest hits were covers of Motown classics, but his falsetto was sublime and this one is a stone cold classic.)

 

Talkin' Baseball (Willie, Mickey & The Duke) - Terry Cashman (2/81; dnc - this was the first of Terry Cashman's baseball records. He'd eventually write over 70 of them, including variations of this one for every major league team in the Eighties. It's MLB season again. Play Ball!)

 

45 Corner:  Alison - Elvis Costello (6/77; dnc - it still blows my mind that this one - and some of the following - never charted. Tonight we hear the Radio Station Promo 45 that included a harmony vocal from Elvis and a synthesizer employed to boost its commercial appeal. Cool stuff.)

 

I.O.I.O. - Bee Gees (7/70; #94 - the brothers had hit a creative wall, and this one almost didn't chart at all. Soon they'd be back with a renewed sense of purpose and direction, and would eventually become one of the biggest acts in the world!)

 

Nature's Way - Spirit (3/71; #111 - taken from their critically-acclaimed 12 Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus album, this one got lots of airplay on FM radio - but it flopped as a 45. Check out this "live" version from NY's Bottom Line in the early Nineties!)

 

Only So Much Oil In The Ground - Tower of Power (3/75; #102 Pop, #85 R&B - here's another great Earth Day song from a band that consistently deserved a wider audience than they reached. This was from their LP Urban Renewal.)

 

Can't You See - Marshall Tucker Band (8/73; #108 - and we close it out with this FM radio staple. Hard to believe that it flopped, but a "live" version would chart a few years later. The LP version runs about 6 minutes long. This radio edit clocks in at 3:11.)

 

 

 

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 (April 10, 2021):  Jan Hunsinger with a spotlight called "The Eyes Have It": songs with the word "eyes" in the title or lyrics

 

 

 

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!