4/6/23 - JS - Early April 1966

 

Rockin' Remnants




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Date:  4/6/24

Host:  John Simon

Feature:  Early April 1966

 

 

 

I'm back on the air tonight from 6-9pm on WVBR's Rockin' Remnants with a spotlight on early April 1966 (plus a little bit of April 1974), a great Birthday Calendar, some Klezmatics tickets and listener requests. C'mon over and join the party!

  

(scroll down to find a glossary of terms)

 

 

 

 

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)

 

Time Won’t Let Me – Outsiders (at #11 this week > #5 – a driving beat, soaring horns, a cool vocal arrangement and lead vocals by Sonny Geraci, who would later front the band called Climax on their only hit: “Precious & Few.” Listener Greg recalls listening to this on his transistor radio while delivering papers back in Illinois in 1966.)

 

 

* Sloop John B – Beach Boys (at #35 this week > #3 – the band was busy working on a new album, but Capitol was pressuring them to release a new single. Brian dusted off this old folk song and created vocal and instrumental arrangements, assembled The Wrecking Crew and bought the group time to complete their Pet Sounds LP.)

 

 

I Can’t Let Go – The Hollies (at #76 this week > #42 – like many of their British Invasion peers, The Hollies worked up  arrangements of American Girl Group songs. This had been recorded by Evie Sands, but they added a driving beat and some tight harmonies and made it their own. They also took it straight to the top of the British charts!)

 

 

That’s When the Tears Start – The Blossoms (4/66; dnc – this was the B-side of the girls’ latest record “Good, Good Lovin’.” The A-side was peaking on this date at #101, but I think that this was the side that could’ve been a hit.)

 

 

3,000 Miles – Brian Hyland (at #122 this week > #99 – this record spent one week on the Hot 100, which is a shame: it’s got a catchy melody, a compelling storyline, and Brian Hyland was proving himself to be quite a singer. Sadly, most of his output on the Phillips label underperformed.)

 

 

* Laugh, Laugh – Beau Brummels (1/65; #15 – this San Francisco band decided to hitch a ride on the British Invasion bandwagon: they picked a European-sounding name, dressed like Englishmen, and managed to plant themselves right next to The Beatles in the record racks. Extra-cool factoid: Sylvester Stewart produced this record. He’d later gain fame and fortune as “Sly” of Sly & the Family Stone.)

 

 

Shake Me, Wake Me (When It’s Over) – Four Tops (down to #27 this week < #18 – this one reached #5 on the R&B chart and was the first of four incredible singles written and produced for these guys by the team of Holland-Dozier-Holland.)

 

 

* Message to Michael – Dionne Warwick (at #64 this week > #8 – the final request in my last show was for “some Dionne Warwick,” but it came in too late. It was easy, though, to find a record from her on my chart date this week: she had 22 Top 40 hits between 1964-1968, so this was like shooting fish in a barrel.)

 

 

* When a Man Loves a Woman – Percy Sledge (debuting at #100 this week > #1 – listener Tom suggested this one, and it was just making its chart debut. It would land at the top of both the R&B and Pop charts five weeks later.)

 

 

Postcard From Jamaica – Sopwith Camel (4/67; peaking at #88 – they only had two charting singles on the Hot 100, but they were a cool San Francisco band recording on a small NYC label. This is a lost nugget.)

 

 

Caroline, No – Brian Wilson (at #54 this week > #32 – somebody at Capitol thought that Brian Wilson should release a solo single – at the same time that the latest Beach Boys single was racing up the chart. This is the only record that gave him solo billing, and Rolling Stone ranks it at #214 in their RS500.)

 

 

Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye – Casinos (4/67; at #42 this week < #6 – our birthday calendar has songwriter John D. Loudermilk on it, and this was one of a number of great songs that he penned. Listener Tom says “Maybe too much instrumentation to be pure doo wop, but I equate it and think of it as the last doo wop hit of the era.”)

 

Atlantis – Donovan (4/69; #7 – this was actually the B-side of a low-charting single released back in February, but it slowly caught on and became one of Donovan’s bigger hits a couple of months later. Going out from Scottie.)

 

 

You’re So Vain – Carly Simon (1/73; #1 for three weeks – this had so much going for it: shrouded in the mystery of who it was about, the unmistakable voice of Mick Jagger in the mix, cryptic lyrics about the ways of The Rich, and as a bonus for us… a timely reference to the total eclipse of the Sun!)

 

 

 

 Birthday Calendar

 

March 31 – John D. Loudermilk – born 1934

            – Herb Alpert – age 88

 

 

April 1 – Connie Francis – born 1932

            – Rudolph Isley – born in 1939

            – Phil Margo (Tokens) – born in 1942

 

April 2 – Marvin Gaye – born 1939

 

 

April 3 – Jeff Barry – age 86

            – Billy Joe Royal – born in 1942

            – Tony Orlando – age 80

            – Don Gibson – born in 1928

 

 

April 4 – Major Lance – born in 1942

             

 

April 5 – Allan Clarke (Hollies) – age 82

            – Crispian St. Peters – born in 1939

            – Agnetha Faltskog (ABBA) – age 75

     – Tony Williams (Platters) – born in 1928

 

 

April 6 – Merle Haggard – born in 1937

 

           

 

7-8pm

 

 

 

Tobacco Road – John D. Loudermilk (12/59; dnc – we heard another of his songs in the 6:00 hour, but here he is in his own voice. It would be a big hit for a British Invasion band and an oft-covered Blues standard. This one flopped, but it’s pretty amazing.)

 

 

The Lonely Bull (El Toro Solitario) – The Tijuana Brass, feat. Herb Alpert (10/62; #6 – Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss formed A&M Records, and this was their first release. Subsequent recordings would be attributed to Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, and they’d sell millions of LPs and singles over the next four years.)

 

 

Tammy – Debbie Reynolds (8/57; #1 for five weeks – she was better known as a star of stage and screen, but this is undeniably one of the biggest records of the year. In addition to singing it, she starred in the film alongside Leslie Nielsen.)

 

 

In The Midnight Hour – Cross Country (8/73; #30 – The Tokens had been successful recording artists, producers, label owners and studio musicians, but finally splintered in the early Seventies. Mitch and Phil Margo and Jay Siegel formed a Country-leaning group loosely following the lead of Crosby, Stills& Nash. This was their one charting single.)

 

 

I Guess I’ll Always Love You – Isley Brothers (7/66; #61 Pop, #31 R&B – this Cincinnati group recorded for a number of labels before forming their own T-Neck Records in 1968. This one was from their short tenure at Motown, and it did okay – but the Supremes, Four Tops, Temptations, Miracles and others were getting all of the best material. They soon moved on.)

 

 

Abraham, Martin & John – Marvin Gaye (1/70; #9 in the UK – Dr. MLK, Jr. was shot and killed in Memphis on April 4, 1968 and a number of acts recorded this song in tribute. This version wasn’t released here in the States, but Marvin was starting to get more political as a recording artist. A year later he’d released his groundbreaking What’s Going On LP.)

 

 

River Deep - Mountain High – Nilsson  (1967; dnc – Jeff Barry was a co-composer of this and a number of other Phil Spector-related songs, and the Tina Turner version of this one was supposed to be Phil’s crowning achievement. When it floundered, Phil went into a deep depression. This non-charting version shows just how great a song this really was.)

 

 

Baby Be Mine – Jelly-Beans (9/64; #51 – this is another Barry-Greenwich song that should’ve been a bigger hit, but the British Invasion was in full-swing and the record label had limited funds for promotion and distribution. Tonight we give it a second shot!)

 

 

He Don’t Love You (Like I Love You) – Tony Orlando & Dawn (5/75; #1 for three weeks – Tony Orlando had a semi-successful career as a solo artist and session singer, but he was suddenly a superstar when teamed with these tow backing singers. Listener Tom reminds us of the old joke that asks “Which one is Tony, which one is Orlando and which one is Dawn?”)

 

 

The Monkey Time – Major Lance (7/63; #8 – Curtis Mayfield had been a co-writer with Jerry Butler on the previous record. He was the sole writer and producer for this one, and it was Chicago singer Major Lance’s most enduring hit.)

 

 

The Pied Piper – Crispian St. Peters (6/66; #4 – he was a British singer and songwriter who had several hit records, but he apparently alienated the music press when he boasted that he was better songwriter than the Beatles and that he made Elvis Presley “…look like a statue” in comparison to himself. That pretty much signaled the end of his career.)

 

 

Pay You Back With Interest – The Hollies (6/67; #28 – the band switched labels in the spring of ’67, and Epic Records released “Carrie Anne” at about the same time this came out on Imperial. It’s a great record, but Epic heavily promoted the band’s debut single and this one got stuck at #28. Graham Gouldman was the writer of this one.)

 

 

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes – The Platters (12/59; #1 for three weeks Pop, five weeks in the UK – the Platters were the most successful vocal group in America in the late Fifties, and a large part of their success could be attributed to the dulcet tones of their lead singer Tony Williams. He’d soon embark on a solo career, and the group would soldier on – finally achieving a comeback in 1966 on the Musicor label.)

 

 

8-9pm

 

 

 

The Winner Takes It All – ABBA (11/80; #8 Pop, #1 in the UK for five weeks – this Swedish vocal group became one of the biggest acts in the early-mid Eighties. Their name was an acronym of their first names and this one is virtually a solo performance by Agnetha, but Benny and Bjorn and Anna were all credited, too.)

 

 

Oh Lonesome Me – Don Gibson (3/58; #7 Pop, #1 C&W for six weeks – he was a Country Music superstar who charted 82 C&W hits. This was his first to reach the Pop charts, and the flipside would soon become one of Ray Charles’ biggest hits. Yep: it was “I Can’t Stop Lovin’ You.”)

 

 

Okie From Muskogee – Merle Haggard (11/69; #41 Pop, #1 C&W for four weeks – this Country anthem won him CMA Record of the Year, along with Performer of the Year. It also helped fuel the culture wars of the late Sixties as Middle America and the Counterculture battled over the War and race relations and sexuality and religion.)

 

 

A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You – The Monkees (4/67; at #9 this week, headed to #2 – in addition to being a prolific songwriter, Jeff Barry produced some great records – including this one that had been written by his Brill Building buddy Neil Diamond. It also had the distinction of being the band’s first big hit with Davy singing lead instead of Micky.)

 

 

Kicks – Paul Revere & The Raiders, feat. Mark Lindsay (4/66; at #18 this week > #4 – lead singer Mark Lindsay was finally given top billing on this powerhouse anti-drug record. The band would get additional promotion by being the house band for the daily after-school show Where the Action Is on ABC TV.)

 

Come and Get Your Love – Redbone (4/74; #5 – last time out I played slightly-longer versions of hit records. Tonight we hear the LP version of this one with an extended intro and a longer fade.)

 

 

Touch a Hand, Make a Friend – Staple Singers (4/73; #23 Pop, # 3 R&B – this family group recorded a string of great records for the Stax label, and lead singer Mavis Staples is still recording fifty years later. In fact, she’ll be headlining at our local Grassroots Festival this summer!)

 

 

There Won’t Be Anymore – Charlie Rich (4/74; #18 Pop, #1 for two weeks C&W – his previous single made it all the way to #1 on the Pop chart, and RCA went back to the vaults for this one – originally recorded in 1965! I guess you could say that Charlie Rich had a timeless appeal.)

 

 

* Heaven is a Zillion Light Years Away – Stevie Wonder (8/74; NR – we had a request for the B-side of “Sir Duke,” but I couldn’t get my hands on it. Instead I played this track from Stevie’s third consecutive Grammy-winner for the Album of the Year award. When Paul Simon would win the award in 1975, one of the people he thanked was Stevie Wonder for NOT releasing a record that year!)

 

 

Vinyl Corner:  Long May You Run – Stills-Young Band (5/76; NR – this is another album track that wasn’t released as a single here in the States, but it’s one of Neil Young’s signature songs. Tonight we hear the original LP version, which isn’t the one you hear on all of the “Greatest Hits” compilations.)

 

 

* Cinderella – Jack Ross (3/62; #16 – in honor of Dr. Demento’s birthday week, we play this requested novelty record. It’s a bit of tongue-twisting wordplay by comedian Jack Ross, backed by a cool Jazz trio in a smoky club.)

 

 

Fooled Around and Fell in Love – Elvin Bishop (4/76; #3 for two weeks – and we close the show with another big single from April 1976. Elvin Bishop was a bandleader better known for his honky tonk Southern Rock material, but this one is melodic and flowing and features lead vocals by Starship singer Mickey Thomas. Thank you and goodnight, friends.)

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

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 (4/13/24):  Gregory James with a spotlight on April 7-13 in Rock History!

 

 

Thanks for tuning in - and for voting us Ithaca's Best Local Radio Show in the most recent 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!