August 27, 2022 GJ - Back to School in 1956, '66 and '76

Rockin’ Remnants

Rockin’ Remnants is broadcast from WVBR-FM Ithaca. Check out our webpage, like us on Facebook, and tune in to 93.5 FM or stream the show every Saturday night from 6-9 p.m. Eastern. (Or download the WVBR+app now available for iOS and Android.)

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Date: August 27, 2022

Host:  Gregory James

Feature: Back to School in 1956, '66 and '76

Birthday Calendar

August 21

Kenny Rogers  (b. 1938  d, 2020)

Jackie DeShannon 81 years old

James Burton  (session guitarist) 83 years old

August 22

Ron Dante  (Archies, Cuff Links) 77 years old 

Dale Hawkins (b. 1936  d. 2010)

August 23

Keith Moon (b. 1946  d, 1978)

Rick Springfield 73 years old

August 24

Mason Williams 84 years old

David Freiberg  (Quicksilver Messenger Service)  84 years old

John Cipollina (Quicksilver Messenger Service)   (b. 1943   d. 1989)

August 25

Gene Simmons  (Kiss)  73 years old

Elvis Costello 68 years old

Walter Williams   (O’Jays)  80 years old

August 26

Valerie Simpson 76 years old

Bob Cowsill 73 years old

August 27

Tommy Sands 85 years old

“Captain” Daryl Dragon (b. 1942  d. 2019)

Tim Bogert   (Vanilla Fudge bassist)  (b. 1944  d. 2021)

Rock n’ Roll Trivia

Question:  What was the name of the group that became the second incarnation of the Shondells?

(scroll down to find the answer below the playlist)

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 subsequent dates) unless otherwise noted

* glossary of terms is below the playlist

OPENING THEME: Good Old Rock n’ Roll—Cat Mother and the All Night Newsboys (1969, #29, produced by Jimi Hendrix)

6:00

In the 6:00 hour, the Billboard chart numbers are for this week in their respective years.

Be Bop A Lula  Gene Vincent  1956 #7 

Vincent has claimed that the title was inspired by a comic strip of the time: Little Lulu.

Over Under Sideways Down  Yardbirds  1966   #25

Drummer Jim McCarty has said the song was inspired by Bill Haley’s “Rock Around the Clock.”

You Can’t Hurry Love Supremes 1966     #7

Co-written by the recently departed Lamont Dozier. Dozier once wrote that “Brian [Holland] was all music, Eddie [Holland] was all lyrics and I [Dozier] was the idea man who bridged both.”

Still the One Orleans 1976  #22

There are hundreds of break-up songs, fewer stay together songs and this is one of the best.

Say I Am  Tommy James/Shondells 1966   #26

This was Tommy James and new Shondells, formerly the Raconteurs.

Don’t Be Cruel Elvis Presley 1956  #1

Written by Otis Blackwell, this was a double-sided hit with “Hound Dog.”

Make Me Belong to You  Barbara Lewis 1966    #28

Written by Billy Vera and Chip Taylor.

Lowdown Boz Scaggs 1976   #16

This track began its life as a single on Cleveland radio when a DJ played it off the “Silk Degrees” LP. Although it was their favorite track, Scaggs and the band never thought it would be released as a single.

Summer in the City Lovin’ Spoonful  1966    #1

The song started life as a poem written by John Sebastian’s 14-year-old brother Mark.

So Long Fats Domino 1956   #21

This track, along with “When My Dreamboat Comes Home,” was a double sided hit for Antoine Dominque Domino Jr.

*This Magic Moment Jay Black and the Americans   1969   #6

A listener requested this song because she said that the group had played at a prom that she went to or was aware of. Chart-wise, this version outperformed the Drifters’ original which peaked at #16 in 1960.

*Baby I Love Your Way  Peter Frampton  1976  #12

Rolling Stone magazine wrote “[Frampton] owned the year 1976 like nobody else in rock." Requested by Scottie for Brooktondale Peggy.

Sunny Bobby Hebb 1966   #2

Hebb wrote the song to console himself after the murder of his brother Harold.

Young Hearts Run Free  Candi Staton   1976   #35

*Runaway Del Shannon  1961  #1

A frequent Rockin’ Remnants Request on the WVBR Listener Line (607-273-2121), this song has had countless covers including Lawrence Welk and Del Shannon himself. My personal favorite is Bonnie Raitt’s 1977 version.

The Fool     Sanford Clark 1956    #13

This song is heard in the film “Dallas Buyers’ Club.”

Lady Jane Rolling Stones  1966  #36

Inspired by D.H. Lawrence’s “Lady Chatterly’s Lover,” this Mick Jagger composition featured Brian Jones playing the dulcimer and Jack Nitzsche playing the harpsichord.

7:00

In the 7:00 hour, the chart numbers are peak positions.

You Decorated My Life  Kenny Rogers   1979  #7 H100 / #1 CW

Put a Little Love in Your Heart Jackie DeShannon    1969  #4

This was DeShannon’s highest charting hit.

Susie Q Dale Hawkins and James Burton  1957  #27 H100 / #7 R&B

So, yeah, James Burton originated the song’s signature opening guitar riff.

Tracy Cuff Links 1969  #9

Every voice you heard on that recording was that of Ron Dante.

So Sad About Us   The Who 1966

From the Who’s second LP “A Quick One,” the song was covered by several other groups.

Take a Hand Rick Springfield 1976   #41

Greensleeves Mason Williams 1969   #90

This track recorded in 1969 turned up in the 2021 film “Licorice Pizza.” Mason Williams also wrote comedy sketches for “Saturday Night Live” and “The Smothers Brothers.”

Three or Four Feet From Home    Quicksilver Messenger Service  1969    NR

This fine boogie was from their LP “Shady Grove” featuring the late Nicky Hopkins on piano.

A World Without Heroes Kiss 1981  #56

Gene Simmons sang lead, Paul Stanley played lead guitar and Lou Reed contributed to the lyrics of this compelling power ballad.

Sneaky Feelings   Elvis Costello   1977   NR

From his LP “My Aim Is True.” He was backed by Clover, a California country rock band but they were credited as The Shamrocks due to contractual constraints. Costello was still employed as a data entry clerk while he made the LP. The week the LP was released, Costello became a full-time musician.

Forever Mine O’Jays 1979   #28 H100 / #4 R&B

Send It Ashford and Simpson 1977  #15 R&B

That’s My Time of Day Cowsills 1967  NR

Worryin’ Kind Tommy Sands and the Raiders  1958  #69

Tommy Sands was 15 years old when Colonel Tom Parker signed him to RCA Records.

Lonely Night (Angel Face) Captain and Tennille  1976  #3  

This Neil Sedaka tune went to #3. Sedaka also wrote “Love Will Keep Us Together” for them.

Take Me For a Little While Vanilla Fudge 1968  #38

Vanilla Fudge’s opening act for some of their 1969 shows was Led Zeppelin.

Peggy Sue Buddy Holly 1957  #3

The song was co-written by Jerry Allison and was originally entitled “Cindy Lou” after Buddy Holly’s niece. However drummer Jerry Allison convinced Holly to change the title to “Peggy Sue” in an attempt to get back together with his then estranged girlfriend (who later became his wife) Peggy Sue Gerron.  Ms. Gerron died in 2018 at the age of 78 and Jerry Allison died on Monday August 22, 2022 at the age of 82.

8:00

In the 8:00 hour, the chart numbers are peak positions.

School Day  Chuck Berry   1957   #3 

Berry subsequently re-used this melody in 1964 for “No Particular Place to Go.”

Be True to Your School Beach Boys 1963  #6

In the case of the Wilson Brothers, the school in question was Hawthorne High School.

*Schooldays   Kinks NR

Dave Davies’ guitar work really shines on this track. Requested by Michael of Newfield. 

Another Brick in the Wall Pink Floyd  1980  #1

The school choir members were not reimbursed at the time of recording, but they became eligible for broadcast royalties from 2004 onward.

*Welcome Back John Sebastian    1976  #1

This TV sitcom theme song was a very successful comeback for John Sebastian.

Wonderful World Sam Cooke    1960   #12

Cooke revised the original lyrics to include more references to education.

Charlie Brown  Coasters   1959  #2

The lyric “Who calls the English teacher ‘Daddy-o’” was possibly inspired by the film “Blackboard Jungle.”

Smokin’ in the Boys’ Room Brownsville Station  1974  #3

Raucous rock from Ann Arbor’s favorite sons.

Girls’ School Wings  1978   #33

From the LP “London Town,” recorded at Abbey Road and on a yacht called “Fair Carol” off St. John in the Virgin Islands.

Don’t Stand So Close to Me Police  1981  #10

Possibly the only rock song that refers to Vladimir Nabokov.

High School Confidential Jerry Lee Lewis  1958   #21 H100  #9 CW  #5 R&B

Recorded on Valentine’s Day 1958 at Sun Records.

Bad Boy Larry Williams 1959  DNC

The Beatles covered not only “Bad Boy” but “Dizzy Miss Lizzy,” both written by Larrry Williams.

*To Sir With Love Lulu (and the Mindbenders) 1967    #1

The theme from the film of the same name. Lulu and the Mindbenders not only performed the song, they appeared in the movie as well.

School Days   Runaways   1977  NR

Lead Runaway Joan Jett let it rip on this coming of age song.

Hot for Teacher Van Halen  1984  #56

The drum solo does not come in the middle of the record, as was standard practice, but at the very beginning. BTW, it is not a drum machine, it is Alex Van Halen double-tracked on his double bass drum.

Back in School Again Floyd Robinson  1960   DNC

CLOSING THEME: Sleep Walk – Santo and Johnny (1959, #1 for two weeks)

Trivia Answer: The Raconteurs

The original Shondells broke up after their first hits with Tommy James, so he recruited The Raconteurs to become the new Shondells.

Congratulations to Michael from Newfield for correctly answering the question and winning a pair of movie passes to Cinemapolis, downtown Ithaca’s home for independent, international and local films.

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, publisher of the Hot 100 and other charts

H100 = Billboard Hot 100

Bubbling Under = songs that were ranked but fell below the top 100

CW = Billboard’s chart for country and western records

R&B = Billboard’s chart of rhythm and blues records

RRHOF = Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

RS 500 = Rolling Stone Magazine’s ranking of the top 500 singles of all time.

Host September 3, 2022: Kim Vaughan

Thanks for tuning in! You can listen to Rockin’ Remnants every Saturday night from 6-9 p.m. Eastern on WVBR (93.5 FM in Ithaca NY) or streaming on WVBR.com.

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