May 1, 2021 - JS - The First of May

 

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:  5/1/2021

Host:  John Simon

Feature:  First Of May

 

 

 

 

 It's a beautiful day for a radio show! I'm on tonight from 6-9 with no real theme, but today's sunshine and blue skies are an inspiration for my kick-off. 

We'll open with a couple of songs from May 1, 1969

It's 93.5 on your FM dial, or streaming at wvbr.com. Come on over - it'll be a party!

 

  

 

 

Rock ‘n’ Roll Trivia

 

 

Submitted by John Rudan: What's the only charting Bee Gees single with no harmony vocals?

 

(Scroll to the bottom for the answer)

 

 

 

 

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)

 

First of May - Bee Gees (5/69; #37 - seven out of their first nine singles went Top Twenty; this one signaled the beginning of their decline until they'd reinvent themselves as a falsetto-voiced funky dance band, and become the biggest thing in Pop music for about the next eight years!)

 

Good Morning Starshine - Oliver (5/69; #3 for two weeks - the Off-Broadway 'Tribal Love-Rock Musical' was a counter-cultural smash, and yielded a string of hit singles for artists including the 5th Dimension, The Cowsills, Three Dog Night, Carla Thomas and even The Happenings. Strawberry Alarm Clock had also recorded this one, but Oliver scored the big hit!)

 

She Lets Her Hair Down (Early In the Morning) - Tokens (12/69; #61 - this one began as a shampoo commercial jingle and three versions were released on the same date: Gene Pitney on the Jubilee label, Don Young on Bang! and this one on the Buddah label. The Tokens' version was the most successful of the three. Listener Tom commented that this is a very underrated record. I agree.)

 

My Girl - Temptations (3/65; #1 Pop, #1 R&B for six weeks - Smokey wrote it, David Ruffin sang lead and The Temptations had their first #1 hit. "When it's cold outside I've got the month of May!")

 

Every Kinda People - Robert Palmer (3/78; #16 - is it just me, or do you think that Robert Palmer was heavily influenced by Marvin Gaye's What's Goin' On album???)

 

Soldier Boy - Shirelles (5/62; #1 for three weeks - this Girl Group classic was the #1 record on this date in 1962. It appeared on the Scepter Records label, and there is unsubstantiated speculation that Duane Eddy played the guitar break that makes up the entire second verse. We'll hear from him officially during the Birthday Calendar.)

 

Young World - Ricky Nelson (4/62; #5 - Ricky virtually grew up in front of a television audience: The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet ran from 1952-1966, and frequently featured his latest record. Even without that advantage, he cut some great singles - and his guitar-playing buddy James Burton made each of them better!)

 

Mountain of Love - Harold Dorman (2/60; #21 Pop, #7 R&B - this record was going nowhere until the folks at Rita Records added strings and backing vocals, which kicked it into overdrive. Tonight we hear first-time stereo from the folks at Eric Records.)

 

* Sixteen Candles - The Crests (11/58; #2 for two weeks - listener George dedicates this one to his granddaughter Kaya, turning 16 this coming Wednesday. Lead singer Johnny Maestro would later form the Brooklyn Bridge and continue recording into the Seventies.)

 

* Itchycoo Park - Small Faces (11/67; #16 - Steve Marriott wrote this trippy little ditty, and Scottie asked us to play it for his Art group, "The Honey Hive Crew.")

 

I Wish It Would Rain - Temptations (1/68; #4 Pop, #1 R&B for three weeks - the classic Temptations line-up of David Ruffin, Eddie Kendrick, Paul Williams, Melvin Franklin and Otis Williams, with "the Funk Brothers" providing instrumental support and production from songwriter Norman Whitfield = perfection.)

 

* 59th Street Bridge Song - Simon & Garfunkel (4/67; dnc - this was tucked on the B-side of At The Zoo, and it was this B-side that was featured in the film Monterey Pop below. When S&G passed on releasing it as a single, Harpers Bizarre jumped on the opportunity and it was their biggest hit.)

 

Everything That Touches You - Association (2/68; #10 - the last big hit for this very large group was loaded with harmonies and catchy hooks and one of the coolest Joe Osborn bass lines ever!)

 

* Soft and Sweet - Continentals (2/57; dnc - listener Tom has been married to "Saint Karen" for a long, long time - he calls her "a saint" because she's put up with him for all these years. It's her birthday this coming week and he requested this cool Doo Wop ditty in her honor. From Brooklyn, NY and on the Whirlin' Disc label: it's The Continentals!)

 

* May I - Bill Deal & The Rhondells (1/69; #39 - two separate listeners thought of this one when they heard that I was doing "the first of May" as a loose theme. If you look at it in print, "May I" looks an awful lot like May 1. And if you think The Association is a "big band," check out these guys from Portsmouth, VA.)

 

* I've Been Lonely Too Long - Young Rascals (2/67; #16 - John from Freeville called, wanting to "hear something from the best band that ever came out of New Jersey!" Was it the E Street Band? The 4 Seasons? The Asbury Jukes??? Nope, he went with these guys  -  and I just may have to agree with him. Tonight we hear the unedited 3+ minute version of one of their best records.)

 

 

 

7-8pm

 

 Birthday Calendar

 

 

April 25 – Stu Cook (CCR) – age 76

            – Mike Brown (Left Banke) – born in 1949

            

April 26 – Duane Eddy – age 83

 

 

April 27 – Pete Ham (Badfinger) – born in 1947

            – Cuba Gooding, Sr. (Main Ingredient) – born 1944

April 28 – Fantastic Johnny "C" – age 78

 

April 29 – Tommy James (Shondells) – age 74

            – Tammi Terrell – born in 1945

            – Bob Miranda (Happenings) – age 79

            – April Stevens – age 85

            – Willie Nelson – age 88

 

April 30 – Bobby Vee – born in 1943

 

 

May 1 – Sonny James – born in 1928

            – Judy Collins – age 82

            – Rita Coolidge – age 76

 

 

Lonely Boy, Lonely Guitar - Duane Eddy & Rebels (5/63; #82 - he's best known as the King of the Twangy Guitar. I had fully intended to play a different song, but I messed up. That said, this is a great example of the Duane Eddy sound. Those are Darlene Love's Blossoms on background vocals.)

 

Lodi - Creedence Clearwater Revival (5/69; #52 - these guys were the hottest singles band in the world that year, with four consecutive Top Three records - three of them reaching #2. This was the B-side of Bad Moon Rising, and managed to chart on its own merits as well. The "Lodi" in question is in California, NOT in Central NY.)

 

She May Call You Up Tonight - Left Banke (6/67; #120 - Mike Brown was the founding member, chief songwriter and piano player for the group. This is the third in his trilogy of songs inspired by the lovely Renee. This should've been a hit!)

Baby Blue - Badfinger (3/72; #14 - Paul McCartney signed the band to the new Apple Records label in 1969, and they were initially written off as "Beatle wannabees." A string of nearly perfect singles showed that that was an unfair disclaimer. This song was produced by Todd Rundgren, and it's a monster.)

Happiness Is Just Around The Bend - Main Ingredient (6/74; #35 Pop, #7 R&B - this was an album track from Brian Auger's Oblivion Express. Cuba Gooding, Sr. kicks it off with his signature spoken-word intro, and the Main Ingredient from Harlem, NY made it their own.)

Got What You Need - Fantastic Johnny "C" (2/68; #56 Pop, #32 R&B - Johnny Corley was raised in South Carolina and worked his way up to Philly, where he cut a series of raucous dance records for the Phil ~ L.A. of Soul label. Backing him up was the studio group called the James Boys, who would later form the nucleus of MFSB.)

Crimson & Clover - Tommy James & The Shondells (2/68; #1 for two weeks - these guys steadily evolved from the days of Hanky Panky to the Pop perfection of I Think We're Alone Now to the trippy psychedelia of Crimson & Clover. Within a year, TJ would also branch out with some solo records as well. This was his biggest hit.)

Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell (4/68; #8 Pop, #1 R&B - Marvin found his musical soulmate in Tammi Terrell, and they found their musical "svengalis" in the writing/production team of Ashford and Simpson. The eternal question here is: which came first, the Coke commercial or this song?)

Why Do Fools Fall In Love - Happenings (4/67; #41 - these guys hailed from Northern New Jersey and discovered that their greatest talent was reinventing older material. This Frankie Lymon classic is a great example: slowed to a dreamy tempo, drenched in strings and harmony, and delivered by the terrific vocalist Bob Miranda.)

The Habit Of Loving You - Nino Tempo & April Stevens (1/67; #149 Cashbox - this brother/sister duo grew up in Niagara Falls, NY. Nino was a horn player and a child actor who eventually became Phil Spector's right-hand man, and it was there that he honed his production skills. This follow-up to their 1966 hit All Strung Out was too similar to its predecessor, and White Whale designated it as a B-side. It did, though, make a bit of noise on the Cashbox chart, and is a stunning example of a "Phil Spector Wall of Sound" production.)

Devil Or Angel - Bobby Vee (8/60; #6 Pop, #22 R&B - Bobby Vee was thrust into the spotlight when his idol Buddy Holly died in a plane crash and the promoters needed the show to go on. Bobby and his group of North Dakota teenagers rose to the occasion and he was soon signed to the Liberty label, where he went on to record a bunch of hits. This one even got airplay on R&B radio!)

I'll Never Find Another You - Sonny James (7/67; #97 Pop, #1 C&W for four weeks - he was dubbed "The Southern Gentleman" by Chet Atkins and had a long list of Country hits, but also scored a bunch of Pop hits in the Sixties and Seventies. Capitol label mates The Seekers had recorded the definitive version of this song, but this is a very tasty version.)

Fever - Rita Coolidge (12/72; #76 - she was dubbed "The Delta Lady" by Leon Russell and was a significant presence on Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour. This cover of Little Willie John's hit just oozes style and class.)

On the Road Again - Willie Nelson (9/80; #20 Pop, #1 C&W - this may have been Willie's first Top Twenty Pop hit, but it was his 62nd charting Country single - and became one of his signature songs. At age 88 he's still recording and writing songs. He's an American treasure.)

Open The Door (Song for Judith) - Judy Collins (12/71; #90 - this recording features a growing chorus of friends and family, along with the tasty guitar licks of Ry Cooder. Judy was most recently in Binghamton, touring with her old beau Stephen Stills  -  the man who once dubbed her "Sweet Judy Blue Eyes.") 

 

 

8-9pm

 

 

* 8:05 - Moby Grape (7/67; dnc - this ill-fated "supergroup" was unusual in that all five members contributed to writing and singing lead on their own compositions. Columbia Records miscalculated when it released five singles simultaneously from their critically-acclaimed album. Of course, they all cancelled each other out, and none of them charted. It was fun to play "8:05" at 8:05pm, though!)

 

* Long Long Time - Linda Ronstadt (8/70; #25 - this was Linda's first successful solo single after leaving the Stone Poneys, and was the beginning of her career as a superstar of the Seventies and Eighties. Going out at the request of Gretchen and Kathy, listening in from the road.)

 

* Pieces Of April - Three Dog Night (11/72; #19 - coming at the suggestion of listener Barbara, who thought that it would fit nicely with our general theme of turning-the-calendar-page. I think that she nailed it.)

 

Shannon - Henry Gross (2/76; #6 - Henry Gross was a founding member of Sha Na Na, and has the distinction of being the youngest performer to grace the stage of the Woodstock festival back in 1969. He also has the distinction of being a cousin to our listener Abby, tuned in tonight from Virginia!)

 

Tony Rome - Nancy Sinatra (2/67; #83 - Frank Sinatra got his daughter to sing the theme music for his latest Hollywood film, in which he played a swingin' private eye. It wasn't a big hit, but it had some great marimba and percussion going on!)

 

With This Ring - The Platters (2/67; #14 - long after the original Platters had faded from the scene, Sonny Turner became the group's lead singer and front man. They signed with Musicor Records in 1966 and had a short string of sizzling platters that allegedly used moonlighting members of Motown's "Funk Brothers" as session players. This was their first and final Top Twenty record since 1960.)

 

Temma Harbour - Mary Hopkin (2/70; #39 - Paul McCartney had signed young Welsh Folk singer Mary Hopkin to the Apple label and oversaw her first few singles before losing interest. This is another one with some fabulous percussion. It sounds a lot like Paul on bass - and it also has a refrain that includes "sunshine, sunnnn shine," which should satisfy the request of listener Gary in New Jersey. Mickie Most was the producer..)

 

* Cindy's Birthday - Johnny Crawford (5/62; #8 - Johnny started in showbiz as a Mouseketeer before joining the cast of The Rifleman as Chuck Connors' son Mark. He also cut some pretty nice records back in the day, and this is the highest-charting of them all. Sadly, Johnny Crawford passed away on the 29th after a lengthy illness. R.I.P.)

 

Crazy Love - Poco (2/79; #17 - as mentioned in JR's post last week, Poco founding member Rusty Young passed away a few weeks ago. He played the pedal steel and sang on a couple of their greatest songs, including this one - a song that he also composed.)

 

Since I Don't Have You - Skyliners (5/59; #12 Pop, #3 R&B - five white kids from Pittsburgh - led by the soulful Jimmy Beaumont - took this beauty to #3 on the R&B charts. The five of them shared writers' credit, and followed it up with the sublime This I Swear.)

 

* Taxi - Harry Chapin (3/72; #24 - Harry attended Cornell for a while and did some of his early songwriting here. Taxi was his first charting single, and its success would be surpassed by its sequel -  simply titled "Sequel" and released eight years later. In between he'd also top the charts with Cat's In The Cradle, but that's another story for another time.)

 

She Lets Her Hair Down (Early In The Morning) - Don Young (12/69; #104 Pop - we opened the show with a couple of "morning" tunes, including The Tokens' version of this song. Both records - plus a version by Gene Pitney - were released on the very same week in December of 1969, thus ensuring that none of them would become a big hit. Next month I'll play that third version. You just can't keep a good song down.)

 

 

 

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

 
 

Trivia Answer

 

First Of May! If you guessed correctly, you're our winner! You've won a car! Call JR next week on the listener line and ask for his car keys. ;)

 

 

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 (5/8-21):  John Rudan with a spotlight called "What's In a Name?"

 

 

 

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!