February 11, 2023

Host: Jan Hunsinger (JH)

Spotlight Theme: Soul Songs (but no Motown)

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!

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 chart dates during/after Aug 1958) unless otherwise noted

·     a glossary of terms is below the playlist

6:00 - 7:00

OPENING THEME:  Good Old Rock ‘n’ Roll – Cat Mother & the All-Night Newsboys (1969 - #29: produced by Jimi Hendrix)

Background Music: Soul Serenade - "King" Curtis (1964 - #51)

My Pledge of Love - Joe Jeffrey Group (1969 - #14: one-hit wonder for the band out of Buffalo)

Can I Change My Mind - Tyrone Davis (1969 - #5: Davis' first BB Hot100 charting single, on Dakar Records)

Hard to Handle - Patti Drew (1968 - #93: Drew had four singles chart on the BB Hot100, but none higher than #62)

The Dark End of the Street - James Carr (1967 - #77: song was later covered by The Flying Burrito Brothers as well as Linda Ronstadt)

But It's Alright - JJ Jackson (1966 - #22: Jackson was one of MTV's first VJs)

*My Girl - The Temptations (1965 - #1: the plan was to play non-Motown soul tonight, but this came in for a listener in St. Petersburg, FL; written and produced by Smokey Robinson, the song ranks #88/RS500)

La-La Means I Love You - The Delfonics (1968 - #4: the first of 16 singles on the BB Hot100 for the soul group out of Philadelphia)

(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher - Jackie Wilson (1967 - #6: song ranks #246/RS500 for "Mr. Excitement")

I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Love You) - Aretha Franklin (1967 - #9: song ranks #186/RS500 for the "Queen of Soul")

A Place Nobody Can Find - Sam & Dave (1965 - DNC: great song from the duo but stardom was still a year away)

I've Got Dreams to Remember - Otis Redding (1968 - #41: posthumous chart entry after Redding was killed in a plane crash in December of 1967)

*Cry to Me - Solomon Burke (1962 - #44: Betty Harris would take the song to #22 in 1963, but it this original version that was used in the movie "Dirty Dancing")

Everybody Plays the Fool - The Main Ingredient (1972 - #3: highest charter for the trio out of Harlem)

Freddy's Dead - Curtis Mayfield (1972 - #4: from the movie "Superfly")

Keeper of the Castle - The Four Tops (1973 - #10: first hit for the group after leaving Motown for ABC/Dunhill Records)

7:00 - 8:00

The Birthday Calendar

Background Music: Walk Don't Run - The Ventures (1960 - #2)

February 5:

Claude King - born 1923

Barrett Strong - born 1941

Cory Wells (Three Dog Night) - born 1942

Al Kooper (Kuperschmidt) - 79

February 6:

Fabian (Fabiano Anthony Forte) - 80

Natalie Cole - born 1950

February 7:

"King" Curtis (Ousley) - born 1934

Walter Scott (Bob Kuban & the In-Men) - born 1943

February 8:

Larry Verne (Erickson) - born 1936

Terry Melcher  - born 1942

"England" Dan Seals - born 1948

February 9:

Bobby Lewis - born 1925

Barry Mann (Imberman) - 84

Carole King (Klein) - 81

Barbara Lewis - 80

February 10:

Don Wilson (The Ventures) - born 1933

Roberta Flack - 85

Ralph "Ral" Donner - born 1943

February 11:

Gene Vincent (Vincent Eugene Craddock) - born 1935

Gerry Goffin - born 1939

Sergio Mendes - 82

Wolverton Mountain - Claude King (1962 - #6: country crossover for King, who re-wrote a Merle Kilgore tune about his real-life uncle, Clifton Clowers)

Money - Barrett Strong (1960 - #23: song ranks #288/RS500 and has been covered many times, including by The Beatles)

Mama Told Me (Not to Come) - Three Dog Night (1970 - #1: Cory Wells provided lead vocals for this Randy Newman-penned tune)

I Can't Quit Her - Blood, Sweat, and Tears (1968 - DNC: Al Kooper co-founded the group and wrote this non-charting single, then left the band)

Tiger - Fabian (1959 - #3: another Philadelphia artist and one of the 'Teen Idols' of the late '50s, early '60s)

This Will Be (an Everlasting Love) - Natalie Cole (1975 - #6: Cole's first charting single, it won her Grammys for Best Female R&B and Best New Artist)

The Cheater - Bob Kuban and the In-Men (1966 - #12: Walter Scott was vocalist, Kuban the drummer and bandleader for this one-hit wonder)

Mr. Custer - Larry Verne (1960  - #1: this novelty song was a million-seller and another one-hit wonder)

Summer Means Fun - Bruce and Terry (1964 - #72: Terry Melcher teamed with Bruce Johnston for this charting single; Melcher would go on to produce the first two Byrds LPs and many hits for Paul Revere and the Raiders)

I'd Really Love to See You Tonight - "England" Dan and John Ford Coley (1976 - #2: kept out of the top spot by Wild Cherry's "Play That Funky Music")

Tossin' & Turnin' - Bobby Lewis (1961 - #1: song spent 7 weeks at the top spot and was used in the movie "Animal House"; we heard it with the rare introduction)

(You're My) Soul and Inspiration - The Righteous Brothers (1966 - #1: one of 98 hit singles written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil; this song also came with the rarely-heard introduction)

Pleasant Valley Sunday - Carole King (1967 - NR: we heard King's demo version of the song that would be a big hit for The Monkees)

Baby I'm Yours - Barbara Lewis (1965 - #11: written by Van McCoy of "The Hustle" fame; song was used by Clint Eastwood in the movie "The Bridges of Madison County")

The First Time (Ever I Saw Your Face) - Roberta Flack (1972 - #1: song was written in 1957 by Ewan MacColl for future wife Peggy Seeger; Flack's cover won her Grammys for Record of the Year and Song of the Year and was used by Clint Eastwood in the movie "Play Misty for Me")

Girl of My Best Friend - Ral Donner (1961 - #19: many thought that Donner sounded like Elvis Presley)

Be-Bop-A-Lula - Gene Vincent (1956 - #7: song ranks #102/RS500)

(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman - Aretha Franklin (1967 - #8: Gerry Goffin and Carole King wrote this song after Franklin's manager Jerry Wexler drove by King on a New York City street and yelled out his car window, "write a song for Aretha about a natural woman")

The Look of Love - Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66 (1968 - #4: song was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and used in the movie "Casino Royale")

This Guy's in Love With You - Herb Alpert (1968 - #1: another Bacharach song to note his passing on February 9 at the age of 94 [see Rockin' Remnants show "Songs by Bacharach" from January 2021 on our blog]; song came about when Alpert was about to host a TV special and he asked Bacharach if he had any appropriate songs for him to sing)

*You Are Everything - The Stylistics (1972 - #9: lead singer Russell Thompkins, Jr. gave this Philadelphia soul group its distinctive sound)

Expressway to Your Heart - The Soul Survivors (1967 - #4: big hit for this garage rock band)

Cry Baby - Garnet Mims (1963 - #4: attributed to 'Garnet Mimms and the Enchanters', but it was really the Sweet Inspirations backing him on this song that would be a big hit for Janis Joplin)

634-5789 (Soulsville USA) - Wilson Pickett (1966 - #13: song was written by Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper and is a reference to The Marvelettes "Beechwood 4-5789")

I'm Gonna Make You Love Me - Madeline Bell (1968 - #26: Bell, a well-known session singer, covered the song originally sung by Dee Dee Warwick)

Hallelujah I Just Love Her So - Ray Charles (1956 - #5 R&B: one of 75 charting singles for "Brother Ray")

Mind, Body and Soul - The Flaming Ember (1969 - #26: the soul group from Detroit turned down Motown to sign with Hot Wax Records)

Groovy Situation - Gene Chandler (1970 - #12: a comeback hit for "The Duke of Earl", as Chandler was called for his biggest hit)

Too Late to Turn Back Now - Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose (1972 - #2: Edward, Carter, and Rose Cornelius from Dania, Florida constituted the trio)

Then Came You - The Spinners with Dionne Warwick (1974 - #1: song spent 1 week at #1 and was a comeback single for Warwick) 

CLOSING THEME:  Sleepwalk – Santo & Johnny (1959 - #1 for two weeks; brothers Santo [steel guitar] and Johnny [rhythm guitar] Farina from Brooklyn)

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 February 18, 2023: Kim Vaughan (KV) with the best of the '50s, '60s, and '70s! 

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 streaming here. 

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