October 30, 2021 - JS - No-Themed Oldies Show

 

  

 

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:  10/30/21

Host:  John Simon

Feature:  Oldies Free-For-All

 

 

 No theme this week, but we've got a loaded Birthday Calendar, a little bit of Halloween music and plenty of room for your requests. We'll also pay tribute to singer Jay Black, who passed away last week at age 82.

 

  

 

 

Rock ‘n’ Roll Trivia

 

 

Drummer Gary Chester was the only session player to appear on The Chiffons' "He's So Fine," because the producers had spent all of their money signing the group and buying the rights to the song. Who were those producers that played on the record?

 

 

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)

 

It Ain't Me Babe - The Turtles (8/65; #8 - White Whale Records was a very small operation when they signed this former Surf band from Southern California. Soon The Turtles would be their biggest attraction, and this was their debut single for the label. Words and music by Bob Dylan!)

 

Black Is Black - Los Bravos (8/66; #4 Pop, #2 UK - a cutting opening riff, a driving bass line and splash of horns, punctuated by the tuff vocals of Mike Vogel propelled this Madrid-based band to near the top of the charts. It would be their biggest hit, and the band would soon go their separate ways.)

 

Home of the Brave - Jody Miller (9/65; #25 - Jody Miller was signed to Capitol and her biggest hit to date was a novelty answer record to Roger Miller's "King of The Road." This topical bit of social commentary is as relevant today as it was 50+ years ago. She'd eventually relocate to Nashville and cut a string of Country records.)

 

Where the Sun Has Never Shone - Jonathan King (1/66; #95 - his biggest hit "Everyone's Gone To The Moon" was on the chart this very week in 1965. This follow-up was an attempt to recapture the success of that one, but it failed miserably. It does, however, describe what it's been feeling like during this very rainy week in Central New York.)

 

It's a Shame - The Spinners (7/70; #14 Pop, # R&B - The Spinners had been floundering at Motown and would soon leave for greater success at Atlantic Records. In between, they recorded this terrific tune from the pens of Syreeta Wright and Stevie Wonder. Stevie even played drums on the track. Check out these dance moves!)

 

* Mercy, Mercy, Mercy - Buckinghams (5/67; #5 - This Chicago group charted five Top Ten singles in 1967, making them the best-selling singles band of the year. This was smack in the middle of that run, and was based on pianist Joe Zawinul's hit melody. Going out to David in Vancouver.)

 

A Girl Like You - Young Rascals (7/67; #10 - this was another band that was on fire in 1967. This was their follow-up to Groovin', and next up would be How Can I Be Sure. Pretty soon they'd drop the "Young" from their name and start recording more topical records.)

 

(I Wanna) Testify - Parliaments (7/67; #20 Pop, #3 R&B - this was the bridge between George Clinton's Doo Wop beginnings and his groundbreaking Funkadelic phase. From New Jersey on the tiny Revilot Records label, I give you...The Parliaments!)

 

* Atlantis - Donovan (4/69; #7 - this was tucked on the B-Side of Donovan's attempt at an anti-war record, "To Susan On The West Coast Waiting." That one stalled at #35 in February of that year, but DJs soon started playing the flip side and it started to gain traction. Sure enough, that's the side that became a classic. Requested by Scottie.)

 

I've Got the Music In Me - Kiki Dee Band (9/74; #12 - Kiki Dee got her start as a session singer and fronting a hardworking bar band. She'd achieve her greatest success as a duet partner with Elton John on "Don't Go Breaking My Heart." In between, she had some chart success with this one.)

 

* Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get - Dramatics (7/71; #9 Pop, #3 R&B - they were from Detroit and signed with Volt Records, which was a subsidiary of Stax in Memphis. This was their biggest hit and it goes out at the request of Brad in Ithaca.)

 

* Our Anniversary - Shep & The Limeliters (2/62; #59 Pop, #7 R&B - going out to "Saint Karen" from Tom, who reports that they're closing in on 19,000 days of wedded bliss. Tomorrow is their 51st anniversary. Here's to many more, you two.)

 

It's All In The Game - Tommy Edwards (9/58; #1 for six weeks - this is the only #1 song with music composed by a United States Vice President. It was also Tommy Edwards' biggest hit, in its fourth week at the top of the charts on this day in 1958.)

 

* Walk Away Renee - Left Banke (9/66; #5 - Alison and her dad danced to Jimmy LaFave's version of this one at her wedding. In lieu of playing that version from the Nineties, we go with the original. Happy anniversary, Alison. Your dad loves you.)

 

 

 

7-8pm

 

 Birthday Calendar

 

 

October 24 – The Big Bopper – born in 1930

            – Bill Wyman (Rolling Stones) – age 85

            – Bettye Swann – age 77

October 25 – Helen Reddy – born in 1941

            – Mike Piano (Sandpipers) – born in 1944

            – Jon Anderson (Yes) – age 77

            – John Hall (Orleans) – age 74

 

October 27 – Gary Chester, drummer – born in 1924

            – Floyd Cramer, pianist – born in 1933

October 28 – Wayne Fontana – born in 1945

     

 October 29 – Denny Laine (Moody Blues) – age 78

            – Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac) – born in 1946

 

 

October 30 – Grace Slick (Jefferson Airplane) – age 82

            – Timothy B. Schmit (Eagles) – age 74

            

 

Go Now! - Moody Blues (2/65; #10 Pop, #1 UK - before teaming up with Paul & Linda McCartney to form Wings, Denny Laine was a founding member of this Birmingham blues/R&B band. That's him on lead vocals and guitar, singing a true-to-the-original copy of the Bessie Banks flop single. After his departure the band would change their focus and their image and achieve greater fame and fortune.)

 

Have You Seen Your Mother Baby - Rolling Stones (10/66; #9 - this is the classic Rolling Stones line-up, with Bill Wyman's prominent bass line locking in with Charlie Watts' drums. Within two years Brian Jones would be gone, and the band would start placing greater emphasis on their albums. That said, they released an impressive string of rockin' singles back in the day....)

 

Come On Home - Wayne Fontana (7/66; #117 US, #16 UK - Wayne Fontana famously left the Mindbenders to pursue solo superstardom. His plan backfired, though: the band thrived, while his career fizzled. This was one of several charting singles in the UK, but it sputtered over here.)

 

Make Me Yours - Bettye Swann (5/67; #21 Pop, #1 R&B for two weeks - one of 14 children, teenaged Bettye left Louisiana and landed in LA, where she signed with Money Records. Her self-penned "Make Me Yours" reached #1 on the R&B chart, but it would be her only major hit.)

 

Come Saturday Morning - Sandpipers (12/69; #17 - lead singer and founding member Mike Piano was born in Rochester, NY and landed in LA. They recorded exclusively for A&M Records, and this track from the Liza Minelli film "The Sterile Cuckoo" was their second-biggest hit - nominated for an Academy Award in 1970.)

 

Your Move - Yes (9/71; #40 - the opening track from The Yes Album was a 7-minute opus called "I've Seen All Good People/Your Move." Atlantic trimmed it down to a manageable 2:54. Jon Anderson sang all of the vocals and wrote the song, as well.)

 

Please Be There - Orleans (1973; dnc - John Hall was the front man for this sizzling band with strong Ithaca roots. This was the opening track from their major label debut LP, and it's very representative of their sound. Another one that shoulda been a hit.)

 

Big Bopper's Wedding - The Big Bopper (12/58; #38 - JP Richardson only had two charting singles, but he was in the same airplane that took the lives of Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens, and is hence forever linked with their memory. This irreverent look at marriage was still on the chart when they all died on February 3, 1959. How's THAT for a legacy???)

 

Emotion - Helen Reddy (2/75; #22 - the Melbourne native scored 21 hits in the US, and three of them reached #1. This was the follow-up to her chart-topper "Angie Baby," and it's a terrific record.)

 

Albatross - Fleetwood Mac (12/68; #104 Pop, #1 UK - Peter Green co-founded the band with Mick Fleetwood and John McVie. Guitarist Danny Kirwan rounded out the band on this recording, and it inexplicably flopped over here in The States.)

 

45 Corner:  We Can Be Together - Jefferson Airplane (11/69; dnc - this song was a highlight of the band's Volunteers LP, and it was chosen as the B-side of the single of the same name. Unfortunately, Grace Slick famously utters the "mother" of all curse words in the lyrics, so airplay was severely impacted. Tonight we hear an edited version sent out to radio stations back in 1969. The offending term is blurred, rather than beeped out, but Grace's passion shines through.)

 

I Can't Tell You Why - Eagles (2/80; #8 - bass player Timothy B. Schmitt replaced Randy Meisner first in Poco and then in the Eagles, and this was his lone lead vocal - on a song that he happened to compose. Today is his 74th birthday.)

 

 

8-9pm

 

 

Cara Mia - Jay & The Americans (6/65; #4 - Jay Black passed away last week at the age of 82 with complications from a bout of pneumonia. He was nicknamed "The Voice," and for good reason. On the show I played a special edit created by my friend and gifted audio engineer Alan Bartenhagen, wherein Jay holds his longest note for an extra five or six measures. It makes me laugh every time. The following video contains a stunning performance from ten years ago. Do yourself a favor and watch it. This man's talent was f'real.)

 

What Will My Mary Say - Jay Black (11/66; dnc - Jay Black went into the studio and recorded an album's worth of material, but this single - a re-make of the Johnny Mathis hit - was all that ever saw the light of day. With lukewarm backing from United Artists, it never caught hold. I think that it shoulda been a hit.)

 

 

 

In addition to the late Jay Black, we'll pay tribute tonight to session pianist Floyd Cramer. Born in Shreveport, LA and raised in Arkansas, he eventually landed in Nashville where he became a vaunted member of the session collective known as "The A-Team," along with bass player Bob Moore, guitarist Chet Atkins, sax man Boots Randolph and harmonica man Charlie McCoy. Together they played on hundreds of records for artists like Elvis, Perry Como, Patsy Cline, Roy Orbison, George Jones and just about everybody else in town. Here are four in a row featuring his distinctive piano stylings.

 

Your Last Goodbye - Floyd Cramer (9/61; #63 - this sentimental instrumental features Floyd Cramer's signature "slip note" style of piano playing, and he's accompanied by all of his "A-Team" pals. Special standouts are the Anita Kerr Singers.)

 

A Mess of Blues - Elvis Presley and The Jordanaires (7/60; #32 - this rollicking B-side was penned by Pomus & Schuman, and backed his massive hit "It's Now Or Never." In addition to naming the Jordanaires on the label, RCA should've credited the piano man, too. He's what makes this record cook!)

 

Leavin' On Your Mind - Patsy Cline (1/63; #83 Pop, #8 C&W - those tinkling keys that sparkle through on all of Patsy Cline's records are all attributable to you-know-who. They were a perfect musical match, whether she was walking after midnight or just going crazy.)

 

Oh Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison (9/64; #1 for three weeks, four weeks in the UK - lost in the thick of the pounding drums and the driving guitar-and-bass riff - not to mention Roy's soaring vocal - is Floyd Cramer's steady piano presence. Next time you hear it, focus in on the piano part. You'll never not hear it again!)

 

He's So Fine - Chiffons (3/63; #1 for four weeks - songwriter Ronnie Mack died just before his record became a hit, and that was after ten record labels rejected the recording by The Chiffons. The eleventh was the charm: Laurie Records took a chance, and the rest is history. Drummer Gary Chester is the lone session player on this record; all of the other instruments were played by the production team, who just happened to be The Tokens.)

 

It Hurts To Be In Love - Gene Pitney (7/64; #7 - Gary Chester's crashing drums open this number. He played on all of Gene's sessions, as well as with The Drifters and The Coasters and a bunch of Girl Groups' records. He's been called "The East Coast's answer to Hal Blaine.")

 

It's Raining Again - Supertramp (10/82; #11 - a song that ties in nicely with the WVBR Weather Center Forecast, and that tied in perfectly with my last show's theme: Spotlight on A&M Records. Listen carefully to the fade and you'll hear a kids' chorus singing a classic nursery rhyme.)

 

* Waiting for the Wind - Spooky Tooth (8/69; dnc - listener Jay called in asking for some Halloween-related music, "like Spooky Tooth, or maybe some Spirit." This is from their second album Spooky Two, and has just opened a can of worms. Creepy crawly bloodthirsty worms.)

 

Spooky - Classics IV (12/67; #3 for three weeks - this tune had charted as an instrumental for sax man Mike Sharpe a year earlier. The band added lyrics and handed it off to lead singer Dennis Yost, and it became an instant classic. The band would eventually morph into the Atlanta Rhythm Section, and they'd squeeze yet another charting version out of it a few years later.)

 

Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath (8/70; dnc - this was the opening track of their eponymous major label debut. A steady falling rain, an ominously approaching church bell ringing, spooky lyrics delivered by an up-'til-then unknown Ozzy Osbourne: it all adds up to deliver a frightening six-minute sonic nightmare. Be afraid. Be very afraid.)

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

Trivia Answer

 

 

The Tokens had signed The Chiffons to their Bright Tunes Productions company, and simultaneously bought the publishing rights to Ronnie Mack's song. That left them with only enough money to pay session drummer Gary Chester, so they played the other instruments themselves!

 

Congratulations to Tina from Danby, for correctly answering the question and winning a gift card to Bickering Twins Restaurant and Tequila Bar!

 

 

 

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 (11/6/21):  John Rudan with a spotlight on Cool Tunes from the JR-chives!

 

 

 

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!