April 30, 2022 - JS - Spotlight On 1968

 

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:  4/30/22

Host:  John Simon

Feature:  Late April 1968

 

 

Let the sun shine in! Warming up the studio for three hours of great Oldies tonight on Rockin' Remnants: a spotlight on April '68, a chance to win State Theater tickets, your requests and a whole lot more. Do stop by - I'll make it worth your while.... 

 

By the way, listener David created this little item. How many song titles from our chart date can YOU spot?

Spent some time pondering this while sittin' on the dock of the bay, Valleri. I wish you wouldn't cry like a baby. I got the feelin' that if you tighten up, you'll find that it's a beautiful morning. Get over those summertime blues and dance to the music. You'll be like the unicorn, a sweet inspiration at Scarborough Fair. There ain't no way that love is blue. Take a stroll down Funky Street. Show us your good, bad and ugly. I think you'll find life to be yummy, yummy, yummy. Of course, it all comes down to what Simon says.

 

 

 

(scroll down to find  a glossary of relevant terms)

 

 

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)

 

* Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell (at #25 this week, headed to #8 Pop and #1 R&B - Marvin Gaye had a string of duet partners, but Tammi Terrell was clearly the perfect match. This song may have been inspired by a Coca Cola ad slogan: "Coke, it's the real thing," but it's become an enduring classic.)

 

(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone - Aretha Franklin (down to #25 this having, having spent five weeks (!) at #5 Pop and three weeks at #1 R&B - Aretha had been floundering at Columbia Records until Arif Mardin signed her to Atlantic. The rest is history, and this was just one of a stunning string of big hits for Aretha.)

 

La La Means I Love You - Delfonics (down to #26 this week, having peaked at #4 Pop and spending four weeks at #2 R&B - one of the sweetest Soul ballads of the era, and one that would also inspire versions by both Todd Rundgren and Laura Nyro.)

 

Look to Your Soul - Johnny Rivers (at its second week at #50, headed to #49 for one week - selected from his groundbreaking album "Realization," this one was written by James Hendricks, who also wrote Summer Rain. That's Joe Osborn on bass and Hal Blaine on drums.)

 

Call Me Lightning - The Who (peaking on this date at #40 - this wasn't released in the UK, but Decca needed a follow-up to I Can See for Miles and they dug up a track from a couple of years earlier. Tonight we hear a brand new stereo mix.)

 

Chain Gang - Jackie Wilson & Count Basie (in its second week at #86 and headed only to #84 Pop and #37 R&B - this was a one-off collaboration between Jackie "Mr. Excitement" Wilson and Jazz giant Count Basie and His Orchestra. Apparently, the entire LP was recorded in two days, and none of the tracks were pre-rehearsed or overdubbed. Yikes!)

 

I Could Never Love Another After Loving You - Temptations (debuting at #87 Pop, headed to #13 Pop and #1 R&B - this one is especially poignant, because it was the final Temptations single with David Ruffin in the fold after the band fired him. His first two solo singles were aptly titled My Whole World Ended and I've Lost Everything I've Ever Loved. Motown had a twisted sense of justice.)

 

I Love You - People (at #85 in its second week, eventually headed to #14 - this cover of a Zombies B-side would spend 18 weeks wending its way up the chart, peaking in mid-July. Tonight we hear the radio promo edit which cuts out about a minute-and-a-half of unnecessary fluff.)

 

* A Beautiful Morning - Rascals (at #9 this week, headed for two weeks at #3 - they'd come a long way over the course of a few short years, from a powerhouse of a bar band to purveyors of dreamy Pop tunes. This one opens with tinkling wind chimes and perfectly captures a hope-filled springtime morning.)

 

* White Room - Cream (10/68; #6 - this driving pounding psychedelic tour-de-force would surface several months from now. Tonight we hear the stereo LP version, which runs nearly two minutes longer than the Atco 45.)

 

* Love Is All Around - The Troggs (at #17 this week, headed to #7 - their original name was The Troglodytes, and they were known for their neanderthal hits like Wild Thing and A Girl Like You. That's partly what made this sweet ballad so surprising. Going out to you and your loved ones from Scottie.)

 

* I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know - Blood, Sweat & Tears (4/68; dnc - this was from the band's debut LP Child Is Father to The Man, and featured the original line-up assembled by Al Kooper. He left before the band had any charting hits, but listener Peter was getting ready to graduate from high school in the Spring of '68, and he was clearly listening to FM radio in his senior year!)

 

* Mr. Bojangles - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (11/70; #9 - this one goes out as a telephoned request from a kid I knew when I was a camp counselor many years ago. She's all grown up and is still playing the guitar, and wanted to hear this formative tune. The NGDB is still together fifty years later and have a brand new album out. Here's a photo of the kid and her camp counselor.)

 

 

 

7-8pm

 

 Birthday Calendar

 

April 24 – Doug Clifford (CCR) – age 77

 

April 25 – Stu Cook (CCR) – age 77

            – Mike Brown (Left Banke) – born in 1949

 

April 26 – Bobby Rydell – Born in 1942

          

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

            – Cuba Gooding (Main Ingredient) – b. 1944

April 28 – Fantastic Johnny "C" – age 79

 

April 29 – Tommy James – age 75

            – Tammy Terrell – born in 1945

            – Bob Miranda (Happenings) – age 80

            – April Stevens – age 93

            – Willie Nelson – age 89 

 

April 30 – Bobby Vee – born in 1943

            – Johnny Farina (Santo & Johnny) – age 81

 

 

Born On the Bayou - Creedence Clearwater Revival (1/69; dnc - an edit of the 6+ minute album track hitched a ride on the back of Proud Mary, which would be the first of nine consecutive Top 10 hits for the band, charting at #2.)

 

I've Got Something On My Mind - Left Banke (10/67; dnc - this was another B-side, this one backing Desiree, which only reached #98 on the Pop chart. It was another Mike Brown composition.)

 

Just Don't Want to Be Lonely - Main Ingredient (1/74; #10 Pop, #8 R&B - this one followed the Main Ingredient "formula": lead singer Cuba Gooding, Sr. opens with a spoken plea to set the stage...and then the song takes off!)

 

Not You - Bobby Rydell (7/66; dnc - he was born in Philly and he died in Philly back on April 5th. In between, he cut a slew of great records for the Cameo-Parkway label until they folded. He subsequently moved to Capitol, where he recorded this Mann-Weil number. Unfortunately, he had been rendered obsolete by the British Invasion and it never went anywhere.)

 

Without You - Badfinger (9/70; dnc - this album track closed Side One of the album "No Dice," but it would find great success when Nilsson recorded it two years later, and again in the hands of Mariah Carey. Here's the original, co-written by Pete Ham and Tom Evans.)

 

Hitch It to the Horse - Fantastic Johnny "C" (6/68; #34 Pop, #25 R&B - the instrumental track was by the Philadelphia studio players called The James Boys, and it charted as an instrumental under the name The Mule. Both versions absolutely cook!)

 

Mony Mony - Tommy James & Shondells (#3 this week in 1968 Pop, #1 UK for 5 weeks - Tommy James was the real deal, and the band was at the peak of its powers during this stretch. Tommy allegedly looked out of his hotel window and was inspired by the sight of the Mutual of NY building sign when he composed this song. It was peaking on our chart date this week, and tonight you hear the rare unedited 45 mix, compliments of audio engineer Mark Matthews.)

 

Randy - The Happenings (5/68; #118 - one more from our chart date, but this one inexplicably didn't ever catch on. Bob Miranda had one of the most powerful Pop voices of his generation and a multi-octave range. This song is a fine example of his work.)

 

All Strung Out - Nino Tempo & April Stevens (9/66; #26 - Nino was an associate of Phil Spector, and had learned some of Phil's studio tricks along the way. April was his older sister, and this is one of their tastiest creations.)

 

If This World Were Mine - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell (3/68; #68 Pop, #27 R&B - three months after If I Could Build My Whole World Around You had come and gone, its B-side started getting airplay. This is it, and it is sublime.)

 

Pancho & Lefty - Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard (4/83; #1 C&W - this one was written by Townes Van Zandt and the pairing of these two grizzled veterans was brilliant. Forty years later, Willie has just released a new album. Sadly, Merle is long gone.)

 

Tear Drop - Santo & Johnny (11/59; #23 - this was the follow-up to the brothers' big #1 hit Sleepwalk, which you'll hear at the end of the show. Santo plays the pedal steel, birthday boy Johnny plays the 6-string.)

 

Devil Or Angel - Bobby Vee (8/60; #6 - Bobby got his start the night after Buddy Holly's plane went down and they needed a sub. He'd go on to record for another ten years or so, and actually had a record on our chart this week in 1968. This, though, is a treasure that deserves another spin.)

 

8-9pm

 

* This Guy's In Love With You - Herb Alpert (bubbling under this week, headed for a four week run at #1 - Herb was a trumpet player and label owner who asked his friend Burt Bacharach if he had any material lying around because he was doing a TV special and thought he might try singing a song. Well...Burt did, and then Herb did, and the rest is history!)

 

* I Got a Line On You - Spirit (1/69; #25 - listener George remembered trying to work this number up with his buddy when they were both in high school. I cranked it up in the studio, and the room was a-rockin'!)

 

* Different Drum - Stone Poneys with Linda Ronstadt (11/67; #13 - most of the world had never heard this voice before, but she'd go on to become one of the most popular singers in the world in a few short years. If you haven't seen "The Sound of My Voice" yet, go to it! Meanwhile, here's the trailer):

 

* Fancy - Bobbie Gentry (11/69; #31 - it took nearly two years after Ode to Billy Joe for Bobbie to crack the Top 40, but she did it with one of her own compositions and listener Lars suggested that we play it. It was recorded in Muscle Shoals and would later be covered by Reba McEntire. This, though, is the original.)

 

Will You Be Staying After Sunday - Peppermint Rainbow (4/69; #32 - this one inexplicably spent three weeks at #39 before leaping up to a peak of #32. It boasted shimmering horns, thundering drums, rich harmonies and a catchy hook. It should've been a bigger hit!)

 

Love (Can Make You Happy) - Mercy (4/69; #2 for two weeks - this was released on the tiny Sundi Records label, but it surged to the top of the charts and led to a big signing by Warner Brothers Records. Sadly, this was a one-hit wonder situation and they could never equal its success.)

 

Sun Goddess - Earth Wind & Fire (12/75; dnc - this live version comes from the platinum-selling Gratitude LP and features a fine sax solo by Andrew Woolfolk. He passed away on the 24th after a lengthy illeness, but he graced many of the band's recordings and deserves to be acknowledged in passing.)

 

Which Way You Goin' Billy? - Poppy Family (3/70; #2 for two weeks - we got word of another sad loss on April 25th, when lead singer Susan Jacks passed after complications from a kidney infection. This Canadian group had a short string of hits for the London label here in the States, and I have a feeling that you'll be hearing from her over the next few weeks.)

 

* Too Late to Turn Back Now - Cornelius Bros. & Sister Rose (5/72; #2 - last time I was on I was featuring songs from the spring of 1972 and this request came in but I never quite got to it. The group appeared on last week's Siblings show with DJ Gregory James, and this one is one of my all-time favorites.)

 

Old Man - Neil Young (4/72; #13 - while we're in the spring of '72, how 'bout this one from Neil Young's Harvest LP? Unlike Neil Young, it just never gets old.)

 

* Runaway - Del Shannon (9/61; #1 - going out at the request of John the Drummer. Solid Gold all the way!)

 

New York's a Lonely Town - Tradewinds (2/65; #32 - songwriters Pete Andreoli and Vini Poncia recorded under a number of different names, but this was their biggest hit as The Tradewinds. Someday we'll hear a stereo recreation of it. For now, it's the Red Bird Records 45 for you!)

 

One Step Ahead - Aretha Franklin(7/65; #119 Pop, #18 R&B - as mentioned previously, Aretha was floundering at Columbia Records until the Atlantic Records management unleashed her true powers. R&B listeners, though, had this glimpse into her magical abilities. In less than two years, the whole world would know.)

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

Congratulations to Dave from Groton, for winning tickets to see Valerie June at the State Theater!

 

 

 

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 (5/7/22):  Kim Vaughan with no particular spotlight: just a great mix of tunes!

 

 

 

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!