January 15, 2022 - JS - In Memoriam: 2021 Edition

 

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:  1/15/22

Host:  John Simon

Feature:  In Memoriam: 2021 Edition

Tonight's show will mostly be a spotlight on artists that we lost in 2021, and Rock 'n' Roll Heaven is having one helluva party! Big hits, lost nuggets, some double shots.... 6-9pm on the East Coast, but streaming everywhere at wvbr dot com. It's a good night to stay warm and toasty by your radio - and let the music fill the void!

Note: we'll start with five big hits from five of the big ones (including one who passed away just three days ago. R.I.P Ronnie Spector.

 

 

Playlist

 

 

·    YouTube links follow some entries

·      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)

 

Be My Baby - The Ronettes (8/63; #2 for three weeks - Rolling Stone ranks this song at the #22 single of all time. Ronnie Spector passed away two days ago at age 78 after a short bout with cancer, and she - along with Hal Blaine and the rest of the team - kick off tonight's tribute to silenced voices of this past year.)

 

Get Off My Cloud - The Rolling Stones (1/65; #1 for two weeks - Charlie Watts kicks this one off. He passed away back in August at age 80, and was one of the true greats. The British Invasion was in full swing, and these guys were at the fore.)

 

You Keep Me Hangin' On - Supremes (11/66; #1 for two weeks Pop, four weeks R&B - Mary Wilson was a founding member of the group, and we lost her last February. This was the girls' second of four consecutive #1 singles, and RS ranks it at #348 of all time. Listener George says that he actually prefers the Vanilla Fudge version. Hard to argue....)

 

Cathy's Clown - Everly Brothers (5/60; #1 for five weeks - this one also spent NINE weeks at #1 in the UK. It was their first release for Warner Brothers Records, and their huge signing bonus suddenly didn't seem to be so far-fetched. Brother Don passed in August at age 84. He and Phil were among the first inductees into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame, and were also inducted into the Grand Ol' Opry. RS ranks this record at #150.)

 

Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head - BJ Thomas (1/70; #1 - this record was in its third of four weeks at #1 on this date back in 1970, and would earn the songwriters an Academy Award the following year. BJ Thomas passed back in May and leaves behind a string of great records.) 

 

That's How Heartaches Are Made - Marvelettes (11/69; #97 - Wanda Young was a founding member of the group and the lead singer on a number of their biggest hits. This was their final charting single, and it never even scratched the R&B chart. Baby Washington had a hit with it back in 1963. Wanda passed away in mid-December at age 78.)

 

A Teenager's Prayer - Joe Simon (6/66; #66 Pop, #11 R&B - raised in the church and steeped in the Gospel tradition, Joe had one of the most distinctive baritone voices in Soul music. This was one of his earliest records. He passed away in mid-December at the ripe old age of 85.)

 

Pleasant Valley Sunday - Monkees (7/67; #3 - Monkee Mike Nesmith left us in early December and there have been many glowing tributes. We spotlight this particular record because that's Mike playing the killer opening guitar lick, plus adding some tasty guitar overdubs and adding a close harmony vocal to Micky's lead lines. Carole King is the writer.)

 

Signs - Five Man Electrical Band (5/71; #3 - this rebellious ditty became a countercultural anthem, and was written and sung by Ottawa native and guitarist Les Emmerson. He passed away in Canada on the same day as Mike Nesmith, and ended up getting short shrift in the press as a result.)

 

She's Gone - Tavares (10/74; #50 Pop, #1 R&B - long before most of the world had ever heard of Hall & Oates, this five-member band of brothers from Eastern Massachusetts had a big R&B hit with their song. Eldest brother Ralph Tavares passed away on December 9th at age 79. R.I.P.)

 

Somewhere - PJ Proby (2/65; #91 Pop, #6 UK - Broadway icon Steven Sondheim got his start as the lyricist working alongside composer Leonard Bernstein, and their musical West Side Story was a Broadway smash. Currently, Steven Speilberg's film adaptation is making many "Best Of" lists for 2021. Here is one of four charting versions of this beautiful ballad, this one delivered by the tightly-wound and over-the-top PJ Proby, who was a bigger hit in England than in his native land. Sondheim passed back on November 26th at age 91.)

 

Tell Someone You Love Them - Dino, Desi & Billy (8/68; #92 - three kids met up at Beverly Hills HS and formed a band. Dino and Desi were both named after their show biz fathers, but Billy Hinsche had to rely on his musical chops to make it into the group. This was the trio's final charting single, written and led by Billy. He'd later go on to be a valued member of the Beach Boys family, and he'd live to age 70. He died back on November 20th. Watch him here singing lead on a Beach Boys favorite!)

 

 

 

7-8pm

 

 Birthday Calendar

 

 

January 9 – Roy Head – born in 1941

            – Joan Baez – age 81

            – Scott Engel (Walker Bros.) – born in 1943

            – Crystal Gayle – age 71

 

January 10 – Jim Croce – born in 1943

            – Rod Stewart – age 77

            – Donald Fagen (Steely Dan) – age 74

 

January 11 – Clarence Clemons (E Street Band) – born in 1942

          

January 12 – Ruth Brown – born in 1928

            – Glen Yarbrough – born in 1930

            – Cynthia Robinson (Family Stone) – born in 1944

 

January 13 – Clarence Carter – age 86

            – Allen Toussaint – born in 1938

 

Treat Her Right - Roy Head & The Traits (9/65; #2 for two weeks - his backing band was The Traits, which is where young guitarist Johnny Winter got his start. Roy Head was a loose-limbed white soul man, and this was his greatest moment on record!)

 

Love Is Just a Four-Letter Word - Joan Baez (4/69; #86 - Joan Baez was one of Bob Dylan's earliest champions, and they had a very complex relationship. This country-flavored Dylan composition had pedal steel AND the twangy Danelectro "sitar" sound of session player Reggie Young going for it.)

 

No Regrets - Walker Brothers (1/76; #7 UK - Scott Engel was from Ohio, and the trio eventually relocated to England when they floundered over here. This Tom Rush composition was their final big hit in the UK, but it virtually went unheard in the States.)

 

Half The Way - Crystal Gayle (10/79; #15 Pop, #2 C&W for three weeks - she had strong C&W roots, including a sister named Loretta Lynn and a distant cousin named Patty Loveless, but she was also a very successful "crossover" artist. She'd be most successful as a duet partner on the Country charts, and would crack the Top Ten on the Pop charts with Eddie Rabbit several years later.)

 

I Got a Name - Jim Croce (10/73; #10 - this song was released a day after Jim Croce died in a small airplane on a runway in Louisiana. Ironically, it wasn't one of his own compositions - but it's one of a string of fine singles that have helped him earn the title "The Immortal Jim Croce.")

 

Mandolin Wind - Rod Stewart with Faces (11/71; dnc - Rod recorded the album Every Picture Tells a Story with The Faces, and this was the b-side of the album's second single. Rod wrote it, and the a-side [I Know] I'm Losing You reached #24.)

 

Rikki Don't Lose That Number - Steely Dan (5/74; #4 - Donald Fagen composed, sang lead and played keyboard on this number, and it became the band's biggest hit single. Tonight we hear the hard-to-find 45 version.)

 

Bobby Jean - Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (5/84; dnc - sax man Clarence Clemons became Bruce Springsteen's horn player and his larger-than-life presence made him a key part of the band's stage persona. He waits until the very end of this number from the Born in The USA album to start wailing, but he doesn't stop until after the fade.)

 

Lucky Lips - Ruth Brown (2/57; #25 Pop, #6 R&B - she was one of the biggest stars to help launch Atlantic Records, and had a string of #1 hits on the R&B chart before recording this crossover hit from the pens of Leiber & Stoller.)

 

Baby The Rain Must Fall - Glenn Yarbrough (3/65; #12 - Glenn got his start as a folksinger with The Limeliters, and was tapped to sing the title song for Steve McQueen's latest film. It would become his biggest hit.)

 

Sing a Simple Song - Sly & The Family Stone (3/69; #89 Pop, #28 R&B - this was initially the b-side of Everyday People. After that one spent four-weeks at #1, DJs started to play this side. Cynthia Robinson opens the track, and her trumpet lines run through it adding to the raw excitement of the whole thing. She was amazing!) 

 

Lady Marmalade - Labelle (3/75; #1 Pop and R&B - Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx and the late Sarah Dash provide the vocals, The Meters provide the instrumentation, but it was Allen Toussaint who assembled them all and produced and arranged the track. Speaking of him, the New Orleans City Council has just voted to rename Robert E Lee Boulevard as Allen Toussaint Boulevard. Bam!)

 

8-9pm

 

Melody for An Unknown Girl - The Unknowns (9/66; #74 - three television teen heartthrobs combined to make this record: Steve Alaimo, Mark Lindsay and his bandmate Keith Allison were all featured performers on ABC-TV's Where The Action Is.  Keith passed away at age 79, having lived a remarkable life as a session player after his time as a Raider. This one is a fascinating glimpse into the crass calculating ways of those willing to prey on young girls' psychology.)

 

Don't Worry Baby - The Tokens (3/70; #95 - Phil Margo and his brother Mitch joined the group back in the Fifties, and they went on to produce and record and form a record label and compose jingles and do a myriad of other behind-the-scenes activities in the industry, all while they continued to make great records. This one deserved a better fate. Mitch passed away in November at 79 years old.)

 

Hushabye - Jay & The Americans (5/69; #62 - Pomus and Shuman had a big hit with this when the Mystics recorded it ten years earlier, but the late Jay Black took the lead on this tasty version. He and his 5-octave range passed away back in late October, but he'll live on as long as people keep spinning his discs.)

 

Across the Universe - The Beatles (3/68; dnc - John and Paul were recording this for a special charity album to benefit the World Wildlife Fund. John envisioned a children's choir on the refrain, and Paul ventured outside the Abbey Road studios where two teenaged girls had been holding vigil for days, hoping to see their idols. One of them was Brazilian Lizzie Bravo, who was thrilled to be invited in to record with The Beatles! She passed away in her native Brazil at age 70, but she had lived her childhood dream!)

 

* Everytime I Think of You - The Babys (1/79; #13 - we interrupt our regular program for a couple of requests. This one goes out to B'dale Peggy from JSF. Lead singer John Waite would release a big hit five years later that opens with the words "Every time I think of you...." Coincidence, or homage?: that is the question!)

 

* The Way of Love - Cher (1/72; #7 - going out to John-in-Freeville, it's another cool Cher tune. This one is a cover of a big UK hit for Kathy Kirby, and was Cher's follow-up to her big #1 Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves. After a couple more lower-charting singles, she'd return with two more chart-topping autobiographical and slightly lurid smash hits. BTW, Cher is still going strong!)

 

Two of a Kind - Sue Thompson (3/62; #42 - best known as a novelty singer, Sue would continue to have C&W hits well into the seventies. This one has a decidedly Nashville sound, and reveals her to have some serious emotional depth. She passed away in September at the ripe old age of 96!)

 

Devoted to You - Everly Brothers (8/58; #10 - this had originally been put on the b-side of the #1 Bird Dog, but it was too good to go unrecognized. Tonight we hear a new stereo mix which clearly shows the brothers' distinct harmonies. Don, who passed in August, sings the low melody line. Sublimely, might I add?)

 

(Old Dogs - Children And) Watermelon Wine - Tom T. Hall (12/72; #1 C&W - his nickname was "The Storyteller," and he wrote a whole bunch of fine songs. This one topped the Country chart, but was never played on Pop radio. Tom T Hall left this plane at age 85 back in August. R.I.P.)

 

Heart of The Night - Poco (5/79; #20 - Paul Cotton replaced Jim Messina back in 1970 and was one of the longest-tenured members of the band. He was also the composer and lead singer of this fine comeback record for the group, and he passed away in late July at 78 years old.)

 

'Til - The Angels (10/61; #14 - they'd have a really big hit with My Boyfriend's Back in a year or two, but this was the first charting single from the New Jersey trio consisting of the Allbut sisters and their friend Peggy. Barbara "Bibs" Allbut passed in July at age 80, and is now among another set of angels.)

 

* Take Me Home Tonight - Eddie Money, feat. Ronnie Spector (8/86; #4 - Eddie Money was an NYPD cop who left the department to pursue a recording career. This record led to a surprising comeback for the late Ronnie Spector, and was suggested by my buddy JR. Check out this live performance and check out Ronnie's slinky Ronettes-style dress.)

 

 

 

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 (1/22/22):  Jan Hunsinger with a spotlight on album tracks from fifty years ago (1972)!

 

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!