May 3, 2025 - JS - No Discernible Theme

 

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:  5/3/25

Host:  John Simon

Feature:  Just the Music

 

  Another Saturday night on Rockin' Remnants. There's no actual theme tonight - just good music and good company, plus chances to win cool stuff and call in a request or two. I'm on from 6-9pm Eastern time (93.5 locally or streaming at wvbr dot com - or on the Tune-In app). We've got a great birthday calendar this week, too! C'mon over!

 

 

 

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)

 

A Beautiful Morning – The Rascals (4/68; #3 – this was the group’s first single after dropping the “young” from their name, and their final release that didn’t have a social justice message behind it. Wind chimes, congas, horns and Felix’ playful delivery all add up to create the perfect ode to springtime.)

 

 

Nowhere to Run – Martha & The Vandellas (3/65; #8 – a cascade of thundering drums, a splash of Jack Ashford’s tambourine, and this Detroit trio came roaring out of the gate with a stone cold Soul classic.)

 

 

 

We Ain’t Got Nothin’ Yet – Blues Magoos (12/66; #5 – this is another one that thundered out of the speakers with a frenzied opening lick, a wash of organ and a driving, pumping bass line. It was released on the Mercury label, and was the group’s only Top Forty record – but it’s one for the ages!)

 

 

 

*  What Does it Take (To Win Your Love) – Jr. Walker & All-Stars (5/69; #4 Pop, #1 R&B – going out on the request line, this was the first single where sax man Junior Walker showed off his melodic singing voice. It was also one of the signature sounds of that summer.)

 

 

 

Sunday Will Never Be the Same – Spanky & Our Gang (5/67; #9 – this is another Mercury Records release, and was the Chicago-area group’s first big hit, composed by NYC writers/label owners Cashman and West. The group was especially comfortable on television and would release about six more big hits before calling it quits.)

 

 

*  Ohio – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (6/70; #14 – it was 55 years ago tomorrow that Ohio National Guard troops opened fire on anti-war protestors on the Kent State campus, and when the smoke cleared four students were dead. This may have been a turning point in support for the war, and Neil Young’s impassioned response to it helped to fuel the fire. Rolling Stone Magazine ranked it at # 395 in their RS500 list. Within a month, it was storming up the charts.)

 

 

*  Everyday People – Sly & The Family Stone (2/69; #1 for four weeks – this one goes out to David in Vancouver, and it’s one of those songs that’s attained “anthem” status. The band itself was multiracial and mixed gender, and Sly Stone was a force to behold.)

 

 

 

Aquarius/Let the Sunshine/Flesh Failures – 5^th Dimension (4/69; #1 for six weeks – speaking of multiracial, mixed gender ensembles – and opposition to the war raging in Southeast Asia – the “tribal Rock musical” Hair had recently moved to Broadway, and the soundtrack yielded at least six chart hits in the process. The biggest was this medley, with drums and bass provided by the Wrecking Crew’s Hall Blaine and Joe Osborn.)

 

 

Hair – The Cowsills (4/69; #2 for two weeks – the only thing keeping this record from Billboard’s top slot was the song we just listened to. This one was actually arranged by members of the family band, and the one blemish on tonight’s show is that I inadvertently stopped it about halfway through, and I still feel bad about it!)

 

*  Taxi – Harry Chapin (3/72; #24 – Harry Chapin lived in Ithaca for a couple of years as a Cornell undergrad, and famously performed all over the northeast. This was his very first charting single, and it’s become something of a cult classic. So much so, in fact, that he finally gave in and recorded a sequel eight years later. That single made it to #23!)

 

On Broadway – The Drifters (4/63; #9 – Lieber & Stoller and their protégé Phil Spector wrote this one, and Phil actually played the guitar solo in it. George Benson would later record a really successful version, but it was its appearance in a television PSA from my youth that permanently seared it into my consciousness. Listener Lars sent me the following link just today. I got goosebumps all over again from watching it.)

 

 

 

Only the Strong Survive – Jerry Butler (4/69; #4 Pop, #1 R&B – Jerry finally parted ways with long-time collaborator Curtis Mayfield and landed in Philadelphia to work with producers Gamble and Huff. It was under their guidance that his career experienced a rebirth, and this R&B #1 is exhibit A. It’s also a reminder that Mother’s Day is next weekend….)

 

*  Suavecito – Malo (4/72; #18 – there were two Bay Area bands that melded Latin rhythms with a soulful groove AND featured a guitarist named “Santana.” The more famous band was built around brother Carlos, but Jorge was in Malo and this is one of my favorite songs from that year. Scottie liked it too and called it in.)

 

 

 7-8pm

 

 Birthday Calendar

 

 

April 27 – Pete Ham (Badfinger) – born 1947

            – Cuba Gooding (Main Ingredient) – born 1944

 

 

April 28 – Fantatsic Johnny “C” – age 82

 

 

April 29 – Tommy James – age 78

            – Tammi Terrell – born in 1945

     – Bob Miranda (Happenings) – age 83

            – April Stevens – born in 1929

     – Willie Nelson – age 92

 

 

April 30 – Johnny Farina (Santo & Johnny) – age 84

            – Bobby Vee – born 1943

           

 

May 1 – Judy Collins – age 86

            – Rita Coolidge – age 80

 

 

May 2 – Lesley Gore – born in 1946

 

 

May 3  – Pete Seeger – born in 1919

            – James Brown – born in 1933

     – Frankie Valli (4 Seasons) – age 91

            – Mary Hopkin – age 75

     – Christopher Cross – age 74

 

 

 

7-8pm

 

 

Baby Blue – Badfinger (5/72; #14 – Pete Ham was a founding member of the band that was one of the first signed to Apple Records. He was the writer of this one as well as a singer and guitarist, and American Todd Rundgren was the producer.)

 

Everybody Plays the Fool- Main Ingredient (7/72; #3 Pop, #2 R&B for three weeks – Cuba Gooding was the lead vocalist for this Harlem-based group, and his signature move was to open each song with a spoken intro. This one was their biggest hit of all.)

 

Hitch it to the Horse – The Fantastic Johnny “C” (6/68; #34 Pop, #25 R&B – Johnny Corley was a Soul “shouter” in the Wilson Pickett tradition, and was backed up by Philadelphia’s James Boys, who would eventually became the core of MFSB, the Philadelphia International label’s studio band. In fact, they had charted first with the instrumental version of this one, calling it “The Mule.”)

 

 

 

Mirage – Tommy James & The Shondells (5/67; #10 – the musical backing for this single was created when somebody inadvertently played their previous single’s track backwards in the studio: if you listen with that in mind, you’ll realize that it’s “I Think We’re Alone Now” in reverse!)

 

Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell (5/68; #8 Pop, #1 R&B – the partnership of Marvin & Tammi – along with songwriting/production team Ashford & Simpson – was a match made in heaven. Sadly, Tammi would soon be diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. Within two years she’d be gone.)

 

 

 

The Habit of Lovin’ You – Nino Tempo & April Stevens (12/66; dnc – this brother/sister duo hailed from Niagara Falls, NY and eventually landed in LA, where Nino became a friend/associate of Phil Spector. It was there that Nino learned Phil’s “Wall-of-Sound” production tricks, and he put all of them to great use in this tragically under-appreciated record. Unfortunately, its similarity to their previous hit “All Strung Out” led the label to let it flounder.)

 

I Got Rhythm – The Happenings (5/67; #3 for two weeks – this New Jersey quintet was signed by NYC quintet The Tokens, who produced this reworked Gershwin tune and released it on their BT Puppy Records label. It became a smash hit that summer, and led the group to record a string of re-imagined Oldies. Bob Miranda was the lead singer on all of them.)

 

Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love) – Waylon Jennings w/ Willie Nelson (5/77; #25 Pop, #1 C&W for six weeks – the Seventies officially unleashed the genre called Outlaw Country, and Waylon Jennings was one of the genre’s prime examples. Just when you thought this record couldn’t sound better, Willie himself joins in. That’s partly how it became #1 and stayed that way for six weeks!)

 

 

California Nights – Lesley Gore (3/67; #16 – she was born in Brooklyn and raised in Tenafly and grew up before our eyes and ears. Her first hit right out of the gate was “It’s My Party.” Within a year she’d have a hit with one of the first and greatest feminist anthems. This one was co-written by Marvin Hamlisch, arranged by Hutch Davie and produced by Bob Crewe! It would also be her final Top Forty hit.)

 

Someday Soon – Judy Collins (3/69; #55 – Ian Tyson wrote this one, and it was produced by Judy’s beau Stephen Stills, who also played the bass guitar on it. The rest of the group was an all-star line-up: Buddy Emmons on pedal steel, James Burton on guitar, Van Dyke Parks on piano and Jim Gordon on drums. What a line-up and what a record!)

 

 

(Your Love Keeps Liftin’ Me) Higher & Higher – Rita Coolidge (5/77; #2 – Rita came to fame as a singer on Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour, and then later as Kris Kristofferson’s duet partner and wife. This would become her biggest-selling single, produced by her sister’s husband Booker T. Jones. That’s him on the organ, by the way.)

 

Take Good Care of My Baby – Bobby Vee (9/61; #1 for three weeks – this is one of a slew of Carole King songs that gets played on Rockin’ Remnants, and it was Bobby Vee’s biggest hit. Tonight we’re giving away tickets to the Hangar Theatre’s “Tapestry Unraveled: The Music of Carole King.” This is the dialing music.)

 

 Up On the Roof – Carole King (5/70; NR – here’s yet another of Carole’s greatest contributions to Pop culture, and this version comes from her 1970 Writer LP, with lots of help from her friend James Taylor. The critics really liked this record and it led her to release a more personal album that she would call Tapestry. The rest is history.)

 

 

8-9pm

 

Turn! Turn! Turn! – The Byrds (12/65; #1 for three weeks – Pete Seeger had been with the Almanac Singers before joining The Weavers. Despite getting blacklisted during the McCarthy hearings, he remained a driving force in the world of music. He was credited with “If I Had a Hammer,” “Where Have All the Flowers Gone,” “We Shall Overcome” and more – and he turned this text from the Book of Ecclesiastes into a #1 record that doubled as an anthem for peace.)

 

 

C’mon Marianne – 4 Seasons (6/67; #9 – the Jersey boys churned out hit after hit in the early-through late Sixties, many of them written and produced by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe. This one featured a guitar riff that would later be adapted by The Doors’ Robbie Kreiger as the intro to the song Touch Me.)

 

There Was a Time – James Brown (1/68; #36 Pop, #3 R&B – James Brown charted an astounding 66 songs in the R&B Top 50 between 1967-1977. Many of them were two-sided hits, including this one: a one-chord dance record that gave him a chance to showcase his moves in concert. Arthur Conley’s tribute song called “Sweet Soul Music” calls JB “the king of them all, y’all” – and nobody ever contested that proclamation.)

 

Goodbye – Mary Hopkin (5/69; #13 – she was a nineteen-year old Welsh folksinger when she had her first international #1 record, and this was its follow-up. Paul McCartney wrote and produced and played on her first few singles, and his influence was undeniable.)

 

 

Poor Shirley – Christopher Cross (6/80; dnc – this track from his eponymous debut album was tucked onto the B-side of his #1 hit Sailing, which won Grammys for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. Meanwhile, the album itself took Album of the Year and he took the Grammy for Best New Artist of the Year. That was one heckuva debut!)

 

*  A Horse With No Name – America (4/72; #1 for three weeks – here’s another debut single for a group that went straight to number one, and began a very lucrative run for this collection of “army brats” that convened on an American airbase in England. This request was in recognition that the Kentucky Derby took place earlier today. Well played, Tom!)

 

 

 

The Beat Goes On – Sonny & Cher (1/67; #6 – a new batch of musicians was recently inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, and there are inecvitably always quibbles and protests that accompany the announcement. One inductee, though, had no detractors: Carol Kaye was one of the primary bass players for LA’s Wrecking Crew, and she played on hundreds of sessions. She's the one who is credited with having created this signature bass line, which turned a one-chord ditty into a hip and defiant screed for the younger generation.)

 

 

 

Don’t Worry Baby – Beach Boys (5/64; #24 – this was the B-side of I Get Around, which spent two weeks at #1 itself. Brian Wilson has famously recounted being in his car when he first heard The Ronettes’ Be My Baby, and how he had to pull over to listen to it without crashing his car. He was inspired to write this song and offer it to Phil Spector as the girls’ follow-up single. Phil refused, so Brian’s group recorded it. Years later, Ronnie Spector would record her own version.)

 

Sugaree – Jerry Garcia Band (4/72; #94 – many people assume that this is a Grateful Dead song, but it actually came from Jerry Garcia’s first solo album. It also pairs nicely with tonight’s Ithaca Bakery giveaway: the prize is a four-piece pastry sampler. Start dialing when the music begins!)

 

 

 

At the Zoo – Simon & Garfunkel (3/67; #16 – we’ll close with a short and sweet one from the NYC duo. Many of Simon & Garfunkel’s mono singles differ from the LP versions in subtle ways: different reverb or compression, more horns or some singles-only guitar overdubs. It’s pretty clear that Columbia will never release those on CD or record, so you’ll have to tune to Rockin’ Remnants if you to hear the real deal. Meanwhile, I’ll be back in two weeks!)

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

Congratulations to Joe from Enfield, for winning tickets Tapestry Unraveled at The Hangar Theatre, and to Brad from the East Hill for winning a Pastry 4-Pack from the Ithaca Bakery!

 

 

 

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 (5/10/25):  Kim Vaughan with a spotlight yet to be announced

 

 

 

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!