August 28, 2021: JH - Atlantic City Pop Festival

 Host: Jan Hunsinger (JH)

Spotlight: The Atlantic City Pop Festival, August 1, 2, 3 1969

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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 chart dates during/after Aug 1958) unless otherwise noted

·     a glossary of terms is below the playlist

OPENING THEME:  Good Old Rock ‘n’ Roll – Cat Mother & the All-Night Newsboys (1969 - #29: produced by Jimi Hendrix)

Don Everly, the older of the two brothers, passed away at the age of 84 on August 21.  The tight harmonies of the Everly Brothers influenced many musical acts, including: the Beatles; Simon & Garfunkel; the Hollies; and Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris.  Their rootsy sound helped the evolution of both country-rock and folk-rock.  Phil and Don Everly were members of the inaugural class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.

Wake Up Little Susie - Everly Brothers (1957 - #1: one of many songs performed by the Everly Brothers that was written by the husband and wife songwriting team of Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, it features Don's rhythm guitar work; the song spent 4 weeks at #1 and ranks #311/RS500)

('Til) I Kissed You - Everly Brothers (1959 - #4: song was written by Don, born Isaac Don Everly on February 1, 1937)

Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts passed away at the age of 80 on August 24.  Along with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, Watts was the only other member of the band to appear on all of their studio LPs.  His drumming style was greatly influenced by his love of jazz, and he was ranked 12th on Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Drummers of All Time."  Watts was also known for his impeccable taste in clothes.

Paint It Black - Rolling Stones (1966 - #1: Watts' driving beat propels the song, which ranks #174/RS500)

Street Fighting Man - Rolling Stones (1968 - #48: more powerful drumming from Watts)

Spotlight: The Atlantic City Pop Festival - August, 1969

This event has been largely lost to history, as no movie or music soundtrack was made of the performances.  There does exist some grainy home movies on Youtube, but they are brief and largely silent.  This is Rockin' Remnants' attempt to recreate some of those three days. (Note: not all of the acts listed on the poster actually performed)

Day 1 Performers

Backing song: Time Is Tight - Booker T. and the MGs (1969 - #6)

Fill Your Heart - Paul "Biff" Rose (1968 - DNC: Rose was the MC of the Festival and something of a late-60's cultural figure, appearing on Johnny Carson as well as the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.  He co-wrote the song with Paul Williams ("We've Only Just Begun") and David Bowie covered it on his LP Hunky Dory; Bruce Springsteen once opened for Rose in 1973)

Mississippi Mud - Aum (1969 - NR: Aum was a San Francisco-based blues-rock band that released 2 LPs in 1969; the lead sing is referred to as "Wayne the Harp" on the back of this album, Bluesvibes)

Questions 67 & 68 - Chicago (1969 - #71; 1971 - #24: billed as "Chicago Transit Authority", accounts of the concert say the band played their entire first LP of the same name; Joni Mitchell followed their set, which reportedly did not go over well with the crowd)

A Whiter Shade of Pale - Procol Harum (1967 - #5: one of the anthems of 1967's 'Summer of Love', the song ranks #57/RS500)

Evil Ways - Santana (1970 - #9: billed as "Santana Blues Band", the band is also said to have played its entire first LP; "Evil Ways" debuted on the BB Hot 100 on New Year's Day, 1970)

In-a-Gadda-da-Vida - Iron Butterfly (1968 - #30: meant to be a love song from Adam to Eve in the Garden of Eden, the story goes that inebriated songwriter Doug Ingle's slurring of the words resulted in the rock classic)

Time Has Come Today - The Chambers Brothers (1968 - #11: closed Day 1 of the Festival with a "memorable rendition" of their hit song)

Day 2 Performers

Milkweed Love - Lothar and the Hand People (1968 - DNC: "Lothar" was the name given to the group's theremin and the Hand People were the human members of the band, who at one time jammed with, among others, Jimi Hendrix, the Grateful Dead, The Lovin' Spoonful and the Byrds)

Birthday Calendar

(Backing song - "Midnight Cowboy Theme"  - Ferrante and Teicher (1969 - #10: Teicher was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pa)

August 22:

Bob Flannigan (The Four Freshmen) - born 1926

Dale Hawkins - born 1938

Ron Dante - 76

August 23:

Rudy Lewis (The Drifters) - born 1936

Keith Moon (The Who) - born 1946

August 24:

Louis Teicher - born 1924

Willie Winfield (The Harptones) - born 1929

David Freiberg - 83

Mason Williams - 83

Joe Chambers - 79

August 25:

Walter Williams (The O'Jays) - born 1942

Gene Simmons [born Chaim Witz] (KISS) - 72

Henry Paul (The Outlaws) - 72

August 26:

Fred Milano (Dion & the Belmonts) - born 1939

Chris Curtis [Crummey] (The Searchers) - born 1941

August 27:

Edward Patten (the Pips) - born 1939

Daryl Dragon - born 1942

Tim Bogert (Vanilla Fudge) - born 1944

August 28:

Danny Seraphine (Chicago) - 73

Wayne Osmond - 70

Day By Day - The Four Freshmen (1955 - #72: Brian Wilson, NOT Brian Love, as I said on the air [brain freeze!], has cited the Four Freshmen as as influence on the harmonies he wrote for the Beach Boys)

Susie-Q - Dale Hawkins (1957 - #27: song would later be a hit for CCR)

Leader of the Laundromat - The Detergents (1965 - #19: Ron Dante got his start with this parody of the Shangri-La's hit, "Leader of the Pack", and would go on to be the voice of The Archies and The Cufflinks)

Please Stay - The Drifters (1961 - #14: Rudy Lewis took over as lead singer for the group when Ben E. King went solo; song was written by Burt Bacharach and featured backing vocals by DeeDee Warwick and Doris Troy)

Pictures of Lily - The Who (1967 - #51: song went to #4 in the U.K.; drummer Keith Moon provided high backing vocals)

Life Is But a Dream - The Harptones (1955 - DNC: Willie Winfield was lead singer for the doo-wop group)

Miracles - Jefferson Starship (1975 - #3: David Freiberg was the bassist for Quicksilver Messenger Service as well as the Jefferson Starship and came up with the organ part on this hit)

Classical Gas - Mason Williams (1968 - #2: Williams won a Grammy for Pop Instrumental for the song, which was kept out of the top spot by "Hello I Love You" by the Doors)

Back Stabbers - The O'Jays (1972 - #3: after 10 song on the BB Hot 100 but none in the Top 40, the group hit it big when they moved to Philadelphia Records)

Hard Luck Woman - KISS (1977 - #15: from the LP Rock and Roll Over)

There Goes Another Love Song - The Outlaws (1975 - #35: Henry Paul was one of three lead guitarists for the Southern Rock band and is on the far right in the image below)

I Wonder Why - Dion & the Belmonts (1958 - #22: Fred Milano sang second tenor for the group, which took its name from Belmont Ave. in the Bronx)

He's Got No Love - The Searchers (1965 - #79: Chris Curtis co-wrote and sang this modest hit for the group, which took its name from the 1956 movie starring John Wayne)

Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me - Gladys Knight and the Pips (1974 - #3: Edward Patten was cousin to Gladys Knight)

The Way I Want to Touch You - The Captain & Tennille (1975 - #4: Toni Tennille wrote the song, which was a regional hit in 1974 but was re-released after the success of "Love Will Keep Us Together")

Take Me for a Little While - Vanilla Fudge (1968 - #38: Tim Bogert passed away in January of 2021 after a long battle with cancer)

*Feeling Stronger Every Day - Chicago (1973 - #10: band members Peter Cetera and James Pankow wrote the song from the LP Chicago VI)

Crazy Horses - The Osmonds (1972 - #14: Wayne Osmond wrote the ecology song about LA pollution and automobile horsepower with brothers Alan and Merrill)

Back to Day 2 of the Atlantic City Pop Festival

(Background music: Grazing in the Grass - Hugh Masekela (1968 - #1)

Song to the Siren - Tim Buckley (1970 - NR: Buckley sang the song on the final episode of The Monkees TV show in 1968, and it showcases his transition from folk to jazz/rock)

Wasn't Born to Follow - The Byrds (1969 - DNC: the Goffin/King penned tune was used in the movie Easy Rider)

Feel So Good - Lighthouse (1969 - DNC: great tune from the Canadian band that would find fame in the '70s with "One Fine Morning" and "Sunny Days")

Fire - The Crazy World of Arthur Brown (1968 - #2: this song and Brown's flamboyant performances got him the nickname "The God of Hellfire")

Green River - Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969 - #2: title track from the second of three albums the band released in 1969)

Why I Sing the Blues - B.B. King (1969 - #61: song was used for the title track of a 1983 greatest hits album)

Feeling Alright - Joe Cocker (1969 - #69; 1972 - #33: his cover of the song by Traffic) 

Make Your Own Kind of Music - "Mama" Cass Elliot (1969 - #36: song was written by the husband & wife team of Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil)

Revolution - Mother Earth (1968 - DNC: liner notes from Rhino Records' "Love Is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-70" say the group was part of "the rootsier second wave of San Francisco acts that were a backlash against the excesses of psychedelic rock") 

Mendocino - The Sir Douglas Quintet (1969 - #27: the Texas band relocated to San Francisco and were known for incorporating Tex-Mex and Cajun influences to rock'n'roll)

Eli's Coming - Three Dog Night (1969 - #10: song was written by Laura Nyro)

Try - Janis Joplin (1970 - #103: after her set, which included this song as well as "Raise Your Hand", concertgoers thought the show was over, but there was one more act)

The Girl Can't Help It - Little Richard (1956 - #49: song was written by actor, singer, & jazz pianist Bobby Troup, and ranks #413/RS500)

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 September 4, 2021: John Simon (JS) with a Spotlight on early September, 1964.

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 streaming here. 

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