December 14, 2024 - JS - Super Stereo Oldies

 

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:  12/14/24

Host:  John Simon

Feature:  Stunning Stereo Oldies

 

Tonight's my final Saturday night show before 2025. If you're listening through a good system and you sit between your speakers (or in headphones), you'll be in Stereo Heaven! That's the thrust of the evening: High-fidelity Oldies, with some holiday tunes folded in, some giveaways and your requests. 6-9pm on WVBR-FM, 93.5 and streaming around the world. These songs have never sounded so good.....

  

 

 

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)

 

Till – The Angels (11/61; #14 – they were two sisters and a friend from Northern New Jersey who’d signed with the small Caprice Records label. This vocal version of Roger Williams’ 1955 hit was their debut single. Two years later they’d sign to Smash Records and record “My Boyfriend’s Back,” and their lives would never be the same.)

 

 

Hushabye – The Mystics (5/59; #20 – these Italian boys from Queens cut some nice records for the Laurie label, and for a short while included a member named Paul Simon. This particular song had no Paul Simon, but was used to great effect in the film Stand By Me.)

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The Wanderer – Dion (12/61; #2 – here’s another one on the Laurie Records label. Bronx native Dion had recently parted ways with the Belmonts, but teamed up with rival vocal group The Del Satins to back him up on a string of solo recordings. This was one of their best, and we hear it tonight in crystal clear stereo.)

 

 

Rag Doll – 4 Seasons (6/64; #1 for two weeks – the Jersey boys had been with Vee-Jay Records for a bunch of big hits, but signing with Philips Records appears to have been a good move. This was their third single for the label and all three reached the Top Ten, and this one put them over the top. The version we hear tonight is from a rare stereo album, cleaned up for its radio debut in Ithaca.)

 

 

I’ll Never Find Another You – The Seekers (3/65; #4 Pop, #1 UK for two weeks – this Australian quartet had just signed with Capitol Records and this was their charting debut here in the States. They were really big in The UK, where four of their first five singles went straight to #1, but they never quite achieved that level of success over here.)

 

 

*  Nowhere Man – The Beatles (3/66; #3 – for some reason, this record broke the group’s streak of nine consecutive #1 singles for the Capitol label, but it’s just as good as any of the others. Tonight we hear the special mix created for the Yellow Submarine Songtrack CD, which was an experiment that sadly only lasted for one disc. The idea was to re-mix these songs with extra punch and presence. The result is stunning!)

 

 

I’m Gonna Make You Love Me – Supremes & Temptations (12/68; #2 – last time out, I played Madeline Bell’s version of this Kenny Gamble composition. In this case, Motown paired its two most successful singing groups in the studio, and the gambit paid off. The unsung star of the show, though, just might be studio bassist James Jamerson. His bass line propels the song to another level. Meanwhile, this was one of Diana’s final appearances with the Supremes before striking out on her own. Here's a short video without the girls.)

 

 

Wichita Lineman – Glen Campbell (11/68; #3; composer Jimmy Webb was suddenly everywhere on the radio, and Glen Campbell had become one of his most reliable interpreters. This one starts with studio player Carol Kaye’s opening bass line, and Glen himself plays the bass guitar solo using Carol’s borrowed 6-string bass. Rolling Stone ranks this at #195 in its RS500 greatest singles of all-time. It sounds even better in stereo!)

 

 

*  Downtown – Petula Clark (12/64; #1 – while this was Petula’s seventeenth charting single in the UK in a career that had started in the 1940s, it was her debut release in the States, and it would turn out to be her biggest hit. Going out to Barbara’s visiting sister, who first heard it as a kid growing up on Long Island.)

 

 

*  Reflections – Diana Ross & The Supremes (8/67; #2 for two weeks – this was the first release to give Diana top billing on the record label, and it also broke the group’s string of five consecutive  #1s. I have a really trippy stereo version at home where the psychedelic intro goes back-and-forth across the stereo plane, but I didn’t have it with me. Going out to Barbara – on the same call that took her sister’s request.)

 

 

Sugar Sugar – The Archies (9/69; #1 for four weeks – this w-i-d-e stereo version comes from a limited edition Don Kirschner boxed set, and I can’t get enough of it. There was, of course, no real group of “Archies,” but some of NY’s finest studio talent was behind the illusion, including session singers Ron Dante and Toni Wine.)

 

 

*  Day By Day – Godspell (5/72; #13 – this was the most memorable musical moment from the Off-Broadway show Godspell, and cast member Robin Lamont delivers the goods. Listener Scottie requested that it go out to Peggy with love.)

 

 

It’s Not Unusual – Tom Jones (4/65; #10, #1 UK – Tom Jones was a consummate performer with a hit variety TV show and a powerful voice. This was his charting debut here in the States, and this song became his calling card. Tonight we hear the original tracks remixed for exceptional separation and clarity. It’s downright breathtaking!)

 

 

 

 

7-8pm

 

 Birthday Calendar

 

 

December 8 – Jerry Butler – age 85

            – Greg Allman – born in 1947

            – Jim Morrison – born in 1943

 

December 9 – Kenny Vance – age 81

            – Donny Osmond – age 67

 

December 10 – Chad Stuart (C&J) – born 1941

            – Jessica Cleaves (FoD) – born 1946

 

December 11 – David Gates (Bread) – age 84

            – Brenda Lee – age 80

 

 

 

December 12 – Frank Sinatra – born in 1915

            – Dionne Warwick – age 84

            – Terry Kirkman (Association) – born 1939

            – Dickey Betts – born 1943

 

 

December 13 – Steve Forbert – age 70

 

December 14 – Charlie Rich – born 1932

           

 

 

 

 

Mr. Dream Merchant – Jerry Butler (10/67; #38 Pop, #23 R&B – JB started singing in church as a boy and became friends with Curtis Mayfield when they met in Chicago. He finally broke out of Curtis’ orbit and recorded a string of great records for Mercury. This is just one of them, opening with a dramatic flourish of plucked harp.)

 

 

 

Hey Girl – Donny Osmond (11/71; #9 – Donny and his brothers started to copy the Jackson 5 formula: infectious dance beat with the youngest kid singing lead – and when Michael went solo, Donny did too. One difference: Donny specialized in covering hits from the early-to-mid-Sixties, and this is Exhibit B. Exhibit A was “Go Away Little Girl.”)

 

 

Love Or Let Me Be Lonely – Friends of Distinction (3/70; #6 – The Friends of Distinction and the 5^th Dimension were both offshoots of a vocal group called The Hi-Fi's, and they each had some success on their own – but one more than the other. Jessica Cleaves divided her time between the FoD and Earth Wind & Fire, leaving behind a nice body of work.)

 

 

 

 

Soul Kitchen – The Doors (4/67; NR – they were a quirky Southern California quartet with a charismatic lead singer and virtuosic musical abilities. Their debut album yielded two singles, and this certainly could’ve been the third. Jim Morrison would be 81 this week if he hadn’t died at 27.)

 

 

 

Distant Shores – Chad & Jeremy (7/66; #30 – this was the British duo’s final Top 40 hit, and it may also be their most melodic and majestic record. Tonight we hear it in stunning stereo, courtesy of Columbia/Legacy’s “Rock Artifacts” series of CDs.)

 

 

 

Aubrey – Bread (2/73; #15 – David Gates began his musical life in a high school band with classmate Leon Russell. He later became a session musician, a composer, a musical arranger, a producer, and eventually formed the group called “Bread” before embarking upon a solo career. He wrote and sang this one with minimalist accompaniment. Cool factoid: actress Aubrey Plaza was named after this song.)

 

I’ll Never Fall in Love Again – Dionne Warwick (12/69; #6 – 27 of her first 32 charting songs were written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. This was the 27^th, and there would be more to follow. Who else could rhyme “catch pneumonia” and “he’ll never phone ya” and get away with it??? Not many others could deliver it with a straight face like this, either. It’s practically a perfect Pop record.)

 

 

 

Cherish – Association (9/66; #1 for three weeks – Terry Kirkman was a founding member of this six-member outfit, and wrote and sang some of their best songs. This one clocked in at 3:25, so Valiant Records lopped off part of the beginning and a repeat of the ending to shorten it to 3:13, and THEN they printed “3:00” on the label, just to ensure that they’d get airplay. Tonight we hear the full-length version in glorious stereo.)

 

 

Cycles – Frank Sinatra (10/68; #23 – Frank’s career had started to wind down when he got his second wind in 1966 and two of his next few singles reached #1. This one almost seems like an afterthought: it’s rather quiet and moody, and he does nothing particularly fancy, but it, too, was a pretty good Pop record.)

 

 

 

 

Melissa – Allman Brothers (8/72; #86 – Greg Allman had written this one several years before finally recording it for the Eat a Peach album, and by then his brother Duane was no longer around to play those signature guitar licks that he’d invented. The job was now Dickey Betts’, and Dickey rose to the occasion. Tonight we hear about 15 extra seconds that weren’t on the released version. Greg and Dickey are both on our birthday calendar this week.)

 

 

 

Goin’ Down to Laurel – Steve Forbert (4/79; dnc – Steve Forbert was from rural Mississippi and burst onto the scene with his album called Alive On Arrival. This track was released as a single, but got more airplay on album-oriented FM radio and never actually charted. Here’s the radio station promo 45.)

 

 

 

8-9pm

 

There Won’t Be Anymore – Charlie Rich (1/74; #18 Pop, #1 C&W – Charlie Rich had begun as a Rockabilly pioneer back in the Fifties with a smattering of crossover hits over the years, but his Seventies resurgence as “The Silver Fox” on Epic Records led RCA to re-release some of his early recordings to capitalize on his success. This song was actually recorded back in 1965 and had failed to chart, but it sounded fresh and new to unsuspecting record buyers in 1974.)

 

 

*  I Don’t Know How to Love Him – Yvonne Elliman (4/71; #28 – Yvonne Elliman had played Mary Magdalene on stage and in the subsequent film of Jesus Christ Superstar, and the Godspell track inspired listener David to call this one in. This was Yvonne’s first charting single, but Canadian Helen Reddy beat her to the charts with it: her version had reached #13 two months earlier.)

 

 

*  Dawning Is the Day – Moody Blues (9/70; NR – this album track from Threshold of a Dream was the first request to come in today, at the suggestion of listener Tom who said he likes it “because the song uses both tracks for vocals, different vocals in parts of the song.” Two other on-line commenters seconded his request. Here it is!)

 

 

*  Roundabout – Yes (2/72; #13 – Tom’s request then led to THIS request from listener Peter. The original album track ran 8:36, but Atlantic trimmed it to a tidy 3:26 for radio play. I can vividly remember “getting lost” in the full-length version, blasting through car speakers from an 8-track player while driving around country roads with my friends.)

 

 

 

For What It’s Worth – Buffalo Springfield (1/67; #7 – Stephen Stills had written this in response to the surprisingly strident youthful protests he witnessed over a curfew imposed on the Sunset Strip, but most of the world thought that it was an anti-war anthem. Regardless, it still seems to resonate! Tonight we hear a new mix that includes a cold ending. It’s a revelation.)

 

 

A Whiter Shade of Pale – Procol Harum (6/67; #5; #1 UK for six weeks – this exploded out of nowhere in the summer of 1967, and it sounded like nothing else that had come before it. In reality, the melody was based on a Bach fugue, but the lyrics were vague and the organ was majestic and the band’s name was exotic. Tonight we hear a newly-created stereo mix after all these years of muddy mono. Hosanna!)

 

 

Love At First Sight (Je t’aime…moi non plus) – Sounds Nice, featuring Tim Mycroft on Organ (9/69; #18 UK – this instrumental was released shortly after Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin’s steamy version had caused quite a furor on the continent. Their version managed to reach #1 despite being banned in many markets, but the melody was quite pleasing on its own, and who doesn’t love the Hammond organ???)

 

 

*  Greenfields – Brothers Four (2/60; #2 for four weeks – the only thing that kept this one from hitting #1 was Percy Faith’s “Theme From A Summer Place,” which held down that slot for 9 weeks. Listener Shella says that she sang along tonight, remembering every word, sixty-four years after the fact!)

 

 

Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee (12/60; #14 – “Little Miss Dynamite” first charted in 1957 and had landed 26 singles on the Pop chart by 1962. Three of those were actually this perennial holiday classic, and tonight we hear it in scintillating stereo. Turn it up!)

 

 

Little Drummer Boy – Harry Simeone Chorale (12/58; #13 – this is another one that charted on the Hot 100 every December for five consecutive years, albeit on different labels. Tonight we hear the original 45 version, converted into first-time stereo thanks to the miracles of modern software technology.)

 

 

She Lets Her Hair Down – Tokens (12/69; #61 – this song began its life as a jingle for a shampoo commercial, but the Tokens fleshed it out into a fully-produced bona fide contender. Unfortunately, two other versions were released by competing artists within a three-week span, and they managed to cancel each other out. That said, I still think of this as a Top Ten record!)

 

 

When Will I See You Again – Three Degrees (12/74; #2 – I think it’s fair to say that this is the last of the great Girl Group records of the era. One of my closest friends had a birthday on December 8^th, and he was the first in our peer group to die before he’d had a chance to grow up. His name was Paul Barbary, and he actually gave me this record as a holiday gift fifty years ago this month. As for seeing each other again, I’ll be back on January 11^th.)

 

 

 

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

 

 

Congratulations to Kathy from Snyder Hill, for being my fifth caller and winning a $25 gift card to Bickering Twins Restaurant and Tequila Bar!

 

 

 

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 (12/21/24):  Kim Vaughan with a spotlight as yet unknown. 

 

 

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!