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.)
Thanks to our sponsors Island Health & Fitness and Rasa Spa for their support every week!
Date: December 24, 2022
Host: JR
Feature: Dick Clark has his Rockin' New Year's Eve, so this is JR's Rockin' Christmas Eve, with some great guitar riffs from 3 decades!
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!)
Smoke On The Water - Deep Purple - 1972 - Richie Blackmore plays maybe the most copied guitar riff ever!
China Grove - Doobie Brothers - 1973 - Lead singer Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons on the dual rhythm guitars!
All Right Now - Free - 1970 - The late Paul Kossoff supplied the guitar riffs and Paul Rogers on lead vocals.
Barracuda - Heart - 1977 - Nancy Wilson! Wow!
You Really Got Me - The Kinks - 1964 - Dave Davies played that unmistakable riff. Or was it Jimmy Page?
Revolution - The Beatles - 1968 - John Lennon played the frenetic riff.
Cinnamon Girl - Neil Young & Crazy Horse - 1969 - Neil played the riff on his 1953 Gibson Les Paul Standard called "Old Black".
The Pusher - Steppenwolf - 1968 - Written by Hoyt Axton. This was no "Joy To The World", but it was emblematic of the times...
No Matter What - Badfinger - 1970 - The late Pete Ham on the rhythm guitar.
Jean Genie - David Bowie - 1973 - Written by Bowie about author Jean Genet, and inspired by Iggy Pop.
James Dean - The Eagles - 1974 - Glenn Frey and Bernie Leadon on dual rhythm guitars.
Whole Lotta Love (45 version) - Led Zeppelin - 1969 - Jimmy Page! What else is there to say?
One - Three Dog Night - 1968 - There's lots of keyboards in this, but guitarist Michael Allsup provides some tasty riffs!
Lawyers, Guns and Money - Warren Zevon - 1977 - "L.A. Mafia" guitarist Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar on guitar.
7pm Birthday Calendar
Honky Tonk Women-The Rolling Stones - 1969 - Keith Richards, 79, December 18th.
Shining Star - Earth, Wind & Fire - 1978 - Group leader Maurice White born on December 19th, 1941.
Hard Luck Woman - Kiss - 1976 - Kiss vocalist and drummer Peter Criss, 75, on December 20th.
Valley Girl - Frank Zappa, Moon Zappa - 1982 - Frank was born on December 21st, 1940. This was his highest-charting single: #32 on the Hot 100. Oh my god! This was some bitchin' tune!
I'll Bring It Home To You - Carla Thomas - 1962 - 80 on December 21st - The "Answer Record" to the Sam Cooke tune.
Darlin' - The Beach Boys - 1968 - Lead vocals by Carl Wilson, born on December 21st, 1946.
Massachusetts - Bee Gees - 1968 - Brother Robin and Brother Maurice were born on December 22nd, 1949.
Keep On Truckin' - Hot Tuna - 1972 - Jorma Kaukonen (former guitarist with Jefferson Airplane), 83, December 23rd - Former JA bassist Jack Casady was the other half of this duo. They originally wanted to call themselves "Hot Shit", but RCA Records put the kybosh on that (even though their label was called "Grunt")!
Genesis - Jorma Kaukonen - 1974 - From Jorma's solo LP, Quah, with second guitarist Tom Hobson.
If I Were A Carpenter - Tim Hardin - 1967 - Born on December 23rd, 1941.
Everything I Do Gohn Be Funky (From Now On) - Lee Dorsey - 1969 - Born on December 24th, 1924.
More Riffin'!
One Fine Morning - Lighthouse - 1971 - Ralph Cole was the guitarist for this Canadian band, eh?
Lowdown - Chicago - 1971 - The late Terry Kath supplies the rhythm and lead guitar!
The Core - Eric Clapton - 1978 - From the LP Slowhand, featuring Marcella Detroit (Marcy Levy) on duet vocals.
8pm
I Want You Back - Jackson 5 - 1969 - This could have been Funk Brother David Walker or studio wiz Louie Shelton on rhythm guitar!
I'm Coming Out - Diana Ross - 1980 - Produced and guitar by Nile Rodgers (Chic).
The Other Woman - Ray Parker Jr.- 1982 - Before his solo career, Ray was a studio wiz guitarist, playing with Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Bill Withers, Boz Scaggs among others...
Go All The Way - The Raspberries - 1972 - Eric Carmen was a classically trained pianist, but here he unleashes one of the greatest guitar riffs on the 70's!
I'll Supply the Love- Toto - 1978 - Some of L.A's finest studio musicians came together as a group but didn't take their name from Dorothy's dog! I love the opening riffs from guitarist Steve Lukather!
Ballroom Blitz - The Sweet - 1975 - The guitarist for this British Glam-Rock band was Steve Priest.
Hearts On Fire - Bryan Adams - 1987 - Yes, Virginia, there were still 45's in the 80's...
Another Brick In The Wall (part 2) - Pink Floyd - 1980 - The Floyd's biggest hit! #1 for 4 weeks on the Hot 100! My #1 guitar hero, David Gilmour!
Lady - Styx - 1975 - Another tune with a lot of keyboards, but guitarist John Curulewski provides some mean riffs. He had split the band before this charted.
Going Mobile - The Who - 1971 - Pete Townshend is considered by many to be the greatest rhythm guitarist in rock history.
Takin´Care of Business - Bachman - Turner Overdrive - 1974 - Guitarist Randy Bachman left The Guess Who because he wanted a "heavier" sound. I remember a critic that said BTO was the heaviest band of the 70's, by weight, that is...
Hit Me With Your Best Shot - (45) - Pat Benatar - 1980
Mary's Boy Child - Harry Belafonte - 1956
Christmas Dream - Perry Como - 1974 - From the movie "The Odessa File" starring Jon Voigt, Max Schell and Maria Schell.
CLOSING THEME: Sleepwalk – Santo & Johnny (1959 - #1 for two weeks; brothers Santo [steel guitar] and Johnny [rhythm guitar] Farina from Brooklyn)
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: 12/17/22
Host: John Simon
Feature: Loose Ends
It's a Saturday
night on the cusp of the holidays! Lots of loose ends and a
little bit of Hanukkah and Solstice, plus a tip of the hat to the late
Dino Danelli - along with your requests and more. We'll open with a handful of songs that start with a stand-alone musical intro (titles in bold type), and throw some in during the 8:00 hour, too.
Playlist
·YouTube links follow
certain 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)
California Girls - Beach Boys (7/65; #3 - Brian Wilson calls this intro the best thing he's ever written. He was trying to create "some kind of introduction that would be a total departure from how the song starts and yet would somehow lead into the melody." Mission accomplished!)
98.6 - Keith (12/66, #7 - produced by The Tokens, who also sang the background vocals, this one starts with a slow-tempo piano intro. When my brother first brought the record home, we thought that it was on the wrong speed - and then we were afraid that we'd bought the wrong record...until the horns and drums kicked in.)
Try a Little Tenderness - Otis Redding (12/66; #25 - The Memphis Horns provide a cascading brass intro, while Booker T and The M.G.s bide their time....and then they build to a stirring climax.)
Maggie May - Rod Stewart (10/71; #1 for five weeks - this Rod Stewart composition was supposed to be the B-side, but there was no holding it back! Many AM radio stations played an edited version that left out the acoustic guitar intro, but it's an integral part of the song, which seems naked without it.)
Boogie Nights - Heatwave (7/77; #2 - a dreamy harp-and-strings intro soon gives way to a driving dance floor beat, and it nearly topped the charts. Their next record WOULD be a dreamy ballad: "Always and Forever.")
* Tribute to Dino Danelli, R.I.P.
Mickey's Monkey/ Love Light - Young Rascals (1/67; NR - founding member and drummer of The Young Rascals passed away on Dec. 15th after a series of ongoing health issues. Steven Van Zandt of the E Street Band called him "the greatest rock drummer" of them all. Listener John-from-Freeville called the Rascals "the best New Jersey band - including the E Street Band" of them all. Dino got his start as a Jazz drummer, but he was a driving force behind the band whose stick twirls and showmanship were a wonder to behold. Check out this video of them on the Ed Sullivan Show playing one of the songs that made them legends of the NY-area bar and club scene. R.I.P.)
* I Will Always Think About You - New Colony Six (3/68; #22 - the NC6 were a Chicago-based bar band that got their start playing British Invasion covers. Somewhere along the line, they morphed into "soft rock" balladeers, and scored a couple of big hits. This one goes out to B-Dale Peggy from Scottie.)
* Give Me One More Chance - Wilmer & The Dukes (7/68; #80 - speaking of "bar bands," these guys were the toast of the Central New York dance scene back in the late Sixties. They were based in Geneva, NY and this Otis Redding knock-off was their biggest hit on the National charts.)
Didn't You Know (You'd Have to Cry Sometime) - Gladys Knight & The Pips (3/69; #63 Pop, #11 R&B - after the departure of the songwriting / production team of Holland-Dozier-Holland, Motown had started to focus almost exclusively on the Supremes and Temptations and Smokey & the Miracles. As a result, this shimmering jewel got very little promotion. Listener Jane says that it's one of her all-time favorites, and I'm with Jane!)
45 Corner: Noshville Katz - Lovin' Cohens (2/67; dnc - tomorrow is the first night of Chanukah, and it took comedian Adam Sandler to finally point out the lack of a Jewish presence on Pop radio when he released "The Chanukah Song" in 1995. Well...songwriter Bobby Weinstein tried to make some noise back in 1967 when he took a Lovin' Spoonful tune, added some Klezmer clarinet and some Yiddish words and wove this funny tale of the need for a Kosher deli in Tennessee. WABC designated it as a "Hot Prospect" in early February that year, but it never caught hold. Tonight we change all of that!)
Ariel - Dean Friedman (4/77; #26 - while we're on the topic of religion and identity, a reluctance to alienate white Christian record-buyers led Lifesong Records to expunge any specific reference to Ariel's Jewish identity: the 45 changes the line "she was a Jewish girl, I fell in love with her..." to "her name was Ariel, I fell in love with her!" This was Dean Friedman's only charting hit. It's a gem!)
7-8pm
Birthday Calendar
December 11 – David Gates (Bread) – age 82
– Brenda Lee – age 78
December 12 – Connie Francis – age 84
– Terry Kirkman (Association) – age 83
– Dionne Warwick – age 82
– Dickey Betts (Allman Bros) – age 79
December 13 – Jeff :Skunk" Baxter – age 74
– Randy Owens (Alabama) – age 73
December 15 – Jesse Belvin – born in 1933
– Cindy Birdsong (Supremes) – age 83
– Dave Clark (DC5) – age 81
December 17 – Eddie Kendricks – born in 1939
– Art Neville (Meters) – born in 1937
Aubrey - Bread (2/73; #15 - David Gates had been a touring musician, an LA songwriter and a successful producer. He finally combined all of his identities into one: bandleader of the very successful hit-making machine called "Bread." Here's the first of a string of songs to kick off tonight's Birthday Calendar sub-theme of songs with protagonists' names in the title.)
Cherish - Association (9/66; #1 for three weeks - first off, my son-in-law's sister is named "Cherish." This song was written by lead singer Terry Kirkman. To ensure radio play, Valiant Records slightly sped up the record, edited out the repeated closing line, and even lied by printing "3:00" on the label instead of the true running time of 3:13. Maybe they didn't need to do any of that: it was a sure-fire smash!)
Alfie - Dionne Warwick (4/67; #15 - this was tucked onto the B-side of "The Beginning of Loneliness," but it quickly out-performed the A-side. This version didn't appear in the film, but it IS the definitive version - and it further demonstrates why Dionne Warwick was Burt Bacharach's favorite interpreter of his material.)
Rikki Don't Lose That Number - Steely Dan (5/74; #4 - Jeff "Skunk" Baxter was a founding member of the group who later left to join The Doobie Brothers, and would also become a prolific studio player. Check out his tasty guitar solo in the middle of this one. Tonight we hear the 45 version of their highest-charting single.)
Melissa - Allman Brothers (8/72; #86 - Duane Allman had died in a motorcycle crash in Macon during the recording of the "Eat a Peach" album. That left Dickey Betts to handle the lead and slide guitar parts on the unfinished tracks. This had earlier been picked as the B-side of "Ain't Wastin' Time." It flopped as a chart hit, but it's one of the band's best-known tunes.)
The Crying Game - Brenda Lee (1/65; #87 - "Little Miss Dynamite" had a big voice and a sassy delivery on many of her hits, but she could also convey deep emotion on a mournful ballad. While all of the other stations are busy playing "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" this week, here's her version of a song that Boy George would top the charts with thirty years later.)
We Have Something More (Than a Summer Love) - Connie Francis (11/64; #128 - Connie charted more than sixty singles on the Hot 100. This was the B-side of "Don't Ever Leave Me," which just missed the Top 40. It was good enough that it almost made some noise on its own!)
Guess Who - Jesse Belvin (3/59; #31 Pop, #7 R&B - best known for "Good Night My Love," Jesse had a handful of hits and was on the path to stardom when he agreed to play one of the first integrated concerts in Little Rock, Arkansas. After the show - which had been repeatedly disrupted by white supremacists - he and his wife died in a mysterious auto accident. Arkansas state troopers reported that the tires had clearly been "tampered with." The year was 1960. He was 27 years old.)
Catch Us if You Can - Dave Clark 5 (8/65; #4 - hot on the heels of The Beatles, these guys were at the forefront of "The British Invasion." Lead vocalist/keyboard player Mike Smith was the most gifted musician, but Dave Clark was a shrewd promoter and publicity man who also sat in the drummer's chair - at least on stage. Rumor has it that session drummers were used on the recordings.)
Love Child - Diana Ross & The Supremes (11/68; #1 for two weeks - Mary Wilson was forced out of the group and replaced by The Bluebelles' Cindy Birdsong, primarily because they bore a very strong resemblance. Neither Cindy nor Florence appeared on this recording, but they were the group you saw on Ed Sullivan that Sunday night. BTW - this song dethroned The Beatles' Hey Jude from the top of the charts after a seven-week run!)
Sophisticated Cissy - Meters (2/69; #34 Pop, #7 R&B - The Neville Brothers were musical royalty in New Orleans, and brother Art was also the leader and keyboard player for The Meters, who played on scores of other performers' sessions. This is their first single under their own name. Many more hits would follow.)
I'll Try Something New - Diana Ross & Supremes and Temptations (3/69; #25 Pop, #8 R&B - The Temptations had recently replaced David Ruffin and The Supremes were getting ready to say goodbye to Diana Ross. That led Motown to feature both groups in a TV special, and the soundtrack yielded two nice hit singles. This Smokey Robinson cover features birthday boy Eddie Kendricks.)
Dixieland Delight - Alabama (2/83; #1 C&W - Cousins Randy Owen, Jeff Cook and Teddy Gentry formed one of the most successful vocal groups of Country Music in the Eighties with nearly forty #1 singles! Today is Randy's birthday, and they lost Jeff to cancer about a month ago. From Alabama, I give you...Alabama!)
8-9pm
* I Feel Fine - The Beatles (12/64; #1 for three weeks - local luminary Dan Lashkoff is recovering from recent bypass surgery, and a number of his fans were tuned in. This request/dedication goes out to him: he has gone on record as saying that this would be his "walk-up song" if he were a major league baseball player, and not just a major league drummer.)
All You Need Is Love - The Beatles (8/67; #1 - back to our theme of songs that begin with a stand-alone intro. Not many artists would have the chutzpah to open their next big hit with the French national anthem!)
Signs - Five Man Electrical Band (5/71; #3 - this counter-cultural anthem is best remembered for its catchy chorus and story line, and most people probably forget its rockin' introductory lead-in.)
Fantasy - Earth, Wind & Fire (3/78; #32 Pop, #12 R&B - not many dance hits open with an elaborate orchestral flourish, but this band was not your average dance band. Featuring brothers Maurice and Verdeen White, this is EW&F!)
Crazy On You - Heart (4/76; #35 - here's one more that begins with some fancy acoustic guitar work. Nancy Wilson is a fine guitar player, and her sister Ann is a terrific singer. Put them together in a band and you get this "Real Rock Radio" staple!)
* The Israelites - Desmond Dekker & The Aces (5/69; #9 Pop, #1 UK - this was a request inspired by our earlier observation about the lack of anything overtly "Jewish" on the Pop charts back in the day, even though this is technically not really about Jews. It was, though, one of the first Reggae/Ska records that ever reached the American public in large numbers.)
Dreidel - Don McLean (12/72; #21 - Don was a New York-based Folk singer who had a surprising break-out hit with American Pie earlier in the year. This is a rockin' little number, and it seemed like the first night of Chanukah was the perfect time to take it for "a spin.") 😏
I Wish You Could Be Here - The Cyrkle (2/67; #70 - snow is gently falling outside our studio windows and I've just read the weather for our radio audience, so this is a perfect segue. Co-written by Paul Simon and produced by none other than the OTHER John Simon, this is a mellow acoustic treat on a nearly-Winter evening.)
New York's A Lonely Town - Tradewinds (2/65; #32 - here's another one that captures the spirit of an early winter snowfall. These were songwriters Pete Andreoli and Vince Poncia under one of their alter-ego names, going out to long-time listener Tom!)
What Are You Doing New Year's Eve - Nancy Wilson (12/65; #23 Xmas - The Orioles had a nice hit with this one back in the early Fifties, and Nancy Wilson released it as a holiday B-side ten years later. Most recently, her version was used in the Netflix holiday movie "Something at Tiffany's.")
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Crystals (12/63; NR -Phil Spector gathered all of his biggest acts and assembled the studio players who'd later be known as "The Wrecking Crew" to record this groundbreaking Christmas record. Sales were disappointing at the time, but at this point it's considered a classic - and this version of this song is the prototype for Bruce Springsteen's 1975 hit version. It also starts with a long rambling intro, AND as a bonus...just listen to drummer Hal Blaine go wild!)
Susan - The Buckinghams (12/67; #11 - their final single of 1967 gave them 5 Top 20 hits for the calendar year, making them the most successful hit-making band in the world for a moment in time. In an attempt to give them a hipper and edgier sound, the producers inserted a :30 second electronic "freak out" section on the commercial 45. Many radio stations edited it out, and Columbia quickly rush-released their own edited version for airplay. I think that it would've charted higher in its edited form.)
Everything That Touches You - Association (2/68; #10 - these two records back-to-back repeat the word "love" about 60 times, and that tickled me to no end. These were the last big hits for each group, and I think that they both went out on top of the world!)
CLOSING
THEME: Sleepwalk – Santo & Johnny (1959, #1 for two weeks)
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
(12/24/22): John Rudan with a spotlight he's calling "Rock 'n' Roll Christmas Eve!"
Thanks for tuning in - and for voting us
Ithaca's Best Local Radio Show in this year's Ithaca Times Readers' Poll! 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,
too, to our sponsors Island Health & Fitness and Rasa Spa for their support
every week!
