December 10, 2022 - GJ - Sitting and Standing

Rockin’ Remnants

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Date:  December 10, 2022

Host:  Gregory James

Feature: Sitting and Standing

Birthday Calendar

December 4

Freddy Cannon  86 years old

Dennis Wilson b. 1944  d. 1983

Chris Hillman 78 years old

Southside Johnny  74 years old

December 5

Little Richard b. 1932   d. 2020

J.J. Cale b. 1938  d. 2013

Jim Messina 75 years old

December 6

Mike Smith (vocalist keyboards Dave Clark Five)  b. 1943  d. 2008

December 7

Harry Chapin b. 1942  d. 1981

Tom Waits 73 years old

December 8

Jerry Butler 83 years old

Jim Morrison b. 1943  d. 1971

Gregg Allman   b. 1947  d. 2017

December 9

Sammy Strain  (O’Jays, Chips, Imperials)   81 years old

December 10

Chad Stuart   b. 1941  d. 2020

Rock n’ Roll Trivia

Question: Early in the 6:00 hour I played two songs containing the word "sit" in the lyrics. They were recorded in the 1960’s in both English and Italian by the original artists. What were the songs I played and who were the artists?

(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

6:00

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

Sittin’ On the Dock of the Bay Otis Redding 1968  #1 RB

Redding started writing the song on Bill Graham’s houseboat. Redding had planned to record more overdubs for the track, but he died in a plane crash before he had the chance. Redding recorded for the Stax/Volt label, and the co-founder of the label, Jim Stewart, died last Monday at the age of 92.

Stand By Me Ben E. King 1961  #1 RB  #4 H100

It was Ben E. King’s idea to have drummer Gary Chester turn the snare drum upside down and use brushes.

Stand By Your Man  Candi  Staton   1970   #4  RB  #24 H100

Bambini Miei Cari (Sedetevi Attorno) You Better Sit Down Kids Cher  1967   #9

Written by Sonny, sung by Cher, this time in Italian as well as English.

As Tears Go By (Con Le Mie Lacrime)  Rolling Stones 1966  #6

This was the Stones’ first original composition. Here is a version in Italian merged with the English version.

*Get Up Stand Up    Wailers   1973  DNC

Bob Marley’s admiration for the band War is evident in the melody of the chorus.  Requested by Terry.

I'm Still Standing    Elton John   1983  #12

If anyone can claim success on still standing, it’s Elton John.

Fire Jimi Hendrix 1967  DNC

Bassist Noel Redding was hired by Hendrix because Redding had a good knowledge of blues progressions. Mitch Mitchell came from Georgie Fame’s Blue Flames. Both musicians were very quick studies, enabling them to learn and record music quickly.

You Can’t Sit Down Dovells   1963  #3 H100  #10 RB

Contrary to popular belief, there are a few places in Philadelphia where you actually can sit down.

* Sure As I’m Sitting Here Three Dog Night  1974   #16

Composed and originally recorded by John Hiatt. This was their last top 20 record. Requested by Scottie for Brooktondale Peggy.

Sit Down I Think I Love You   Mojo Men 1967   #36  H100

When the group originally formed in San Francisco, it was comprised entirely of men. As you can hear on the record, replacement drummer Jan Errico added her vocals to the mix, replicating a sound reminiscent of the Mamas and the Papas. The group eventually changed its name to Mojo.

Standing In The Shadows Of Love Four Tops 1967  #2  RB  #6 H100

A great Holland-Dozier-Holland tune with Levi Stubbs on the lead vocal and the Andantes singing backing vocals.

I Won’t Back Down Tom Petty   1989  #12

Apparently, Petty had a head cold during the recording session and, at George Harrison’s suggestion, he inhaled some ginger root steam to open up his sinuses before he recorded his vocals.

Stand!   Sly And The Family Stone   1969  #14  RB  #22 H100

The song originally received a lukewarm response, so Sly went back into the studio and added the song’s final segment to the track, using studio musicians. In the video below, the entire Family Stone gets the audience to, well, Stand!

Sitting in Limbo Jimmy Cliff 1975  DNC

This track was recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio.

Standing On Guard  Falcons 1966  #29 RB  #107 H100

Great harmonies in this overlooked classic on the Big Wheel label. Although they did not sing on this particular track, Eddie Floyd and Wilson Pickett were group members until 1963.

7:00

Palisades Park   Freddy Cannon 1962 #3

The record broke into the radio market when a DJ played it by mistake.

Don’t Worry Baby   Beach Boys 1964 #24

This track is the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. There were no session players on this recording: the Beach Boys played all of the instruments on this track.

Trouble in Paradise Souther-Hillman-Furay Band   1975  DNC

This Time It’s For Real   Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes 1977

Steven Van Zandt wrote the song, produced the track, and sang harmony. The video is grainy, but the performance is zany.

Tutti Frutti    Little Richard    1956  #17

The track starts with ten syllables that changed the course of popular music: A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-lop-bam-boom.

They Call Me the Breeze J.J. Cale 1972

You’ve heard at least one cover version of the song written by J.J. Cale.

Good Friend Loggins and Messina 1972  NR

Friendship takes many forms…

Bits and Pieces Dave Clark Five 1964  #4

Mike Smith co-wrote the song with Dave Clark. They met each other on a boys’ club soccer team.

I Wanna Learn a Love Song Harry Chapin   1974  #44

The story of how Harry Chapin met his wife Sandra.

The Ghosts of Saturday Night Tom Waits 1974  DNC

Based on Waits’ experience as a high school aged dishwasher and pizza cook at Napoleone’s Pizza House in National City, just south of San Diego. You can read about it here.

He Will Break Your Heart   Jerry Butler   1960   #7 H100  #1 RB

Co-composer Curtis Mayfield sings the harmony.

Queen of the Highway    Doors   1970

Jim Morrison wrote  the lyrics about his soon to be wife Pamela Courson.

It’s Not My Cross to Bear Allman Brothers Band 1969  DNC

This was one of the first songs Gregg Allman brought to the band.

Rubber Biscuit The Chips 1956

The original version of this song—recorded 22 years before the Blues Brothers.

Yesterday’s Gone Chad and Jeremy 1963  #21

This was their only record to chart in the U.K.

8:00

I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry    Beatles  1963  DNC

This boy band got its start in dance clubs in Hamburg and Liverpool. Ringo kicks off the track with some blazing drum licks.

I Saw Her Standing There  Beatles   1964  #14

The song was originally entitled “Seventeen.”  McCartney's girlfriend at the time was Celia Mortimer who was…you guessed it, seventeen years old. The video is fabulous in every respect except for George Harrison's solo, which is not captured in the mix.

Ya Ya    Lee Dorsey 1961   #7 H100  #1 RB

If you really want to go down a rabbit hole, look up “sittin’ in la la waiting for my ya ya” on the internet. It can mean anything you want…

Walk Right In   Rooftop Singers   1963  #1 H100

The song was written and first recorded in 1929. It showed up on the R&B, Country and Easy Listening charts as well.

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

Sting taught English (which may be how he knew about Vladimir Nabokov) but he has said many times that the song was not autobiographical. The musical interlude in the middle was created on a guitar synthesizer by Andy Summers.

Sitting    Cat Stevens 1973  #16  H100

A great thing about this song is that it is open to many interpretations, mostly spiritual.

High Flyin' Bird Jefferson Airplane  1966  DNC

Grace Slick was not yet part of the group, so the vocals were by her predecessor, Signe Anderson.

I Ain’t Gonna Stand For It Stevie Wonder   1981  #11 H100 #4 RB

Off of his nineteenth studio album, this track perfectly mixes country, soul and disco.

Stand Tall   Burton Cummings   1977  #10 H100  #2 AC

Inspired by Cummings' girlfriend of nine years leaving him.

Standing On The Outside Brenda Jo Harris   1968  #50 RB  #131 H100

Sittin’ in the Balcony Eddie Cochran  1957  #7 RB #18 H100

The song was written by John D. Loudermilk.

I’m Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter    Billy Williams 1957  #3

This 1935 composition has been recorded so often it has become a staple of the Great American Songbook.

You’ve Got To Stand For Something    John Mellencamp   1985    DNC

Mellencamp told Creem magazine that he hoped that the song would encourage people to come “to grips with their own individual truth, and to try to like themselves a little more.”

Sitting on Top of the World Cream    1968  DNC

The song was written in 1930 and covered scores of times. The Grateful Dead released a cover before Cream did on their 1968 “Wheels of Fire” LP. The video is pretty trippy with lots of Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker and very little Eric Clapton.

Stand Up Atlantic Starr 1978  #16  RB

The group hailed from White Plains before relocating to Westwood CA. Some great dance moves by both the band and the audience in the video.

You Can’t Stand Alone Wilson Pickett   1967  #70 H100  #26 RB

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

Trivia Answer

“You Better Sit Down Kids”   (Bambini Miei Cari) Sedetevi Attorno   by Cher

“As Tears Go By”    Con Le Mie Lacrime  by the Rolling Stones

Congratulations to Terry and Randy from Ithaca for correctly answering the question and winning a pair of passes to Cinemapolis, downtown Ithaca’s movie theater for first-run, 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 December 17, 2022: John Simon with a spotlight on Loose Ends.

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!