3/30/24 - KV-GJ-JS - Springtime

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:  March 30, 2024

Host:  KV – GJ – JS

Feature:  Spring

 

Birthday Calendar

March 24

Lee Oskar (War harmonica player)  76 years old

Billy Stewart  b. 1937  d. 1970

Carol Kaye  89 years old

March 25

Nathan Watts  (Stevie Wonder bassist/musical director)  70 years old

Elton John  77 years old

Aretha Franklin   b. 1942  d. 2018

March 26

Teddy Pendergrass  b. 1950  d. 2010

Steven Tyler   (Aerosmith vocalist)  76 years old

Diana Ross  80 years old

Rufus Thomas  b. 1917  d. 2001

March 29

Speedy Keen  b. 1945  d. 2002  (wrote “Something in the Air”)

Astrud Gilberto  b. 1940  d. 2023   NR

March 30

Eric Clapton  79 years old

Graeme Edge (Moody Blues drummer)  b. 1941 d. 2021 

 

Rock ‘n’ Roll Trivia

 Clue 1:  In the first hour of the show, we heard 2 songs from the same person – one as a solo act, and one as part of a group.  Who was the person?

 Clue 2:  The song credited to a group was Buzz Buzz Buzz.

 Clue 3:  The song as a solo act was Rock-In Robin.

(scroll down to find the answer below the playlist)

 

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)

 

Spring – Birdlegs & Pauline & Their Versatility Birds (1963, #94, the only song to chart for this husband & wife act) 

 

 

Springtime In My Heart – Bob Collins & The Diamond (1963, did not chart, written by Joe South)

 

Spring Fever – Elvis Presley (from the soundtrack of the 1965 film Girl Happy)

 

Spring Again – Lou Rawls (1977, b-side of See You When I Git There)

 

 * Surfin’ Bird – The Trashmen (1963, peaked at #4 in early 1964)

 

 * Rock-In Robin – Bobby Day (1958, #2 for two weeks, R&B #1 for three weeks)

 

 

Buzz-Buzz-Buzz – The Hollywood Flames (1957, reached #11 in early 1958)

 

The Birds And The Bees – Jewel Akens (1965, #3)

 

Raining In My Heart – Buddy Holly (1959, #88)

 

The Rains Came Down – Dorsey Burnette (from his 1963 album Dorsey Burnette Sings)

 

 * Rainy Days And Mondays – The Carpenters (1971, #2 for two weeks)

 

Sunshine – Mickey Newbury (1973, #87.  Newbury (whose first name was Milton) wrote the song Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In).)

 

Green Grass – Gary Lewis & The Playboys (1966, #8)

 

 

Flower Of Love – Lynn Anderson (from her 1969 album With Love, From Lynn)

 

Blossom – James Taylor (from his 1970 album Sweet Baby James)

 

 

 7-8pm

Good Vibrations Beach Boys     1966  #1

There are a lot of reasons to love Brian Wilson’s masterpiece, not least of which is Carol Kaye’s bass playing. Kaye is estimated to have played on over 10,000 recordings.

 

All Day Music   War    1971  #35

 

Summertime       Billy Stewart    1966  #10 H100  #7 RB

Rarely have tongue trills been put to such good use as they are in this track. You heard the alternate LP version which includes an extended horn solo and a bunch of additional trills!

 

I Wish    Stevie Wonder  1977  #1 H100 and RB

Stevie Wonder wrote the song after a Motown picnic in the summer of 1976.

 

Border Song       Aretha Franklin 1970  #37 H100  #5 RB

Aretha’s version charted higher than Elton John’s original which peaked at #92

 

Take Me to the Pilot  Elton John    DNC 

This live version was included on an album called “17/11/70,” which is when it was recorded.

 

Close the Door   Teddy Pendergrass  1978  #25 H100  #1 RB

Pendergrass does some smooth and smoking singing on the Gamble and Huff composition.

 

Remember (Walking in the Sand)     Aerosmith  1980  #67

Mary Weiss of the Shangri-Las sang uncredited backing vocals for the Aerosmith version of their song.

 

My World Is Empty Without You   Supremes  1966  #5 H100 

Written by Holland-Dozier and Holland, this record was released as a Motown single and was one of the few Supremes singles written by HDH that did not reach #1. In the video below, you can hear clearly how much the backing vocals added to the track.

 

All Night Worker    Rufus Thomas  1964  NR

What a fine lost nugget with the great Steve Cropper on guitar.

 

 Something in the Air   Thunderclap Newman   1969  #37

Speedy Keen wrote and double tracked lead vocals for the song, which was produced by Pete Townshend.

 

Agua de Beber    Astrud Gilberto and Antonio Carlos Jobim.   1963  NR

 

Badge   Cream  1969  #60

When Eric Clapton and George Harrison were writing down the song on paper, Clapton mistook Harrison’s spelling of “bridge” for “badge.” Ringo Starr contributed the line about “the swans, they live in the park.”

 

You and Me  Moody Blues    1972   NR

Moody Blues drummer Graeme Edge was a co-composer on this song.

 

8-9pm

 

Here Comes the Sun – Richie Havens (3/71; #16 – this “live” version appears to be the only charting version of George Harrison’s masterpiece about the transition from winter to spring!)

 

A Beautiful Morning – The Rascals (4/68; #3 for two weeks – this one continues in the style of Groovin’ from just about a year earlier, and is the first single attributed to the band as just "The Rascals." I actually played it for myself when I woke up Saturday morning, because it WAS! Meanwhile, check out this great live performance!)

 

Younger Girl – The Critters (5/66; #42 – John Sebastian wrote this and recorded it as a Lovin’ Spoonful album track. Both The Critters and the Hondells released their versions in May of 1966, and neither cracked the Top 40.)

 

 

When You’re Young and In Love – Ruby & The Romantics (10/64; #48 – The Marvelettes would release a more successful version a couple of years later, but this one deserved to do better than to reach no higher than #48.)

 

 

The Warmth of the Sun – Beach Boys (11/64; dnc – this was released as the B-side of Dance, Dance, Dance, but it’s probably better remembered than the hit side. Brian Wilson wrote it, arranged it, produced it and sang the high part. He was all of 21 years old.)

 

 

59^th Street Bridge Song – Harper’s Bizarre (3/67; #13 – when it became clear that Simon & Garfunkel weren’t going to release this as an A-side, this California group did. Whimsical and bouncy and a classic!)

 

Watch the Flowers Grow – 4 Seasons (10/67; #30 – the New Jersey quartet was trying to keep up with the times, so they added some psychedelic touches to this one and came away with a modest hit.)

 

 

* Mr. Blue Sky – Electric Light Orchestra (6/78; #32 – this was a delayed request going out to Gina, and it’s clearly one of her go-to springtime favorites!)

 

 

Blue Sky – Allman Brothers Band (8/72; dnc – speaking of blue skies...this one was released as the B-side of Melissa, which had – itself – been the B-side of the band’s previous single. That said, it’s one of the band’s most cherished tracks. It was also one of the final recordings that Duane Allman played on before his untimely death.)

 

 

Country Girl – Brinsley Schwarz (1970; dnc – guitarist Brinsley Schwarz had a birthday on March 25^th and bassist/vocalist/writer Nick Lowe did on the 24^th. This would’ve made a terrific single.)

 

 

* It Only Takes a Minute – Tavares (7/75; #10 Pop, #1 R&B – this is a request/dedication going out from Scottie to Peggy – and to the rest of you, as well. Tavares was a family band from Fall Creek, Massachusetts. This was one of their biggest hits.)

 

Never My Love – Association (9/67; #2 – and THIS is a dedication going out from the DJ to his sweetheart. We danced to this song 35 years ago at our wedding, and the words still ring true.)

 

 

April Come She Will – Simon & Garfunkel (3/68; dnc – this sweet album track was stuck on the B-side of Scarborough Fair, and is a reminder that March is, indeed, nearly behind us. See you next week, folks!)

 

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

 

Trivia Answer

Bobby Day performed Rock-In Robin, and was also a member of The Hollywood Flames, who did Buzz-Buzz-Buzz.

 Congratulations to Gabe from Ithaca, for correctly answering the question and winning two passes to Cinemapolis!

 

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 (April 6):  John Simon with a spotlight on early April 1966 – and 1974, too. 

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!