August 16, 2025 - JS - Sick-as-a-Dog Days of Summer

 

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!)

 

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Date:  8/16/25

Host:  John Simon

Feature: 

Sick-as-a-Dog Days of Summer

 

 

 I've been pretty clobbered by this nasty bug and I haven't allowed myself much time to get the rest I need - until yesterday (and now today). That said, I'm going to head up to the air conditioned radio station for a 3-hour show from 6-9pm. I may not be my usual perky self, but there must be music! Lots of great records from Augusts past. C'mon over and let's chill together....

 

  

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)

 

 

What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong (7/68; #116 Pop, #1 UK for five weeks – Louis Armstrong had been signed to ABC Records and was booked to record his new single in a Las Vegas studio following a late-night concert. Label owner Larry Newton dropped by to get some photos and was incensed to hear a drippy ballad instead of a Dixieland “Hello Dolly-type” tune. He immediately tried to terminate the session, only to be forcibly removed by the songwriters. In retaliation, he ordered the promo and distribution departments to bury the record. It would take nearly twenty years before American ears would hear the song in a Robin Williams film, at which point the record would finally chart at #32!)

 

 

 

Cast Your Fate to the Wind – Sounds Orchestral (3/65; #10 – Vince Guaraldi composed this one and it was released as a single by his trio in 1962, reaching #22. Sounds Orchestral was a British studio outfit that specialized in popular movie and television theme songs, and they were carried on the Cameo Parkway label here in the States. This is their version – without the final false ending!)

 

 

 

Rag Doll – The 4 Seasons (7/64; #1 for two weeks – group member/writer Bob Gaudio regularly commuted from NJ to Manhattan for work, and one day was approached at a traffic light by a young girl with a squeegee and a spray bottle. When he reached for his wallet to give her a dollar, he discovered that his smallest bill was a ten. The look of astonishment on her face as he handed it to her and drove off haunted him until he wrote this song, which may be one of the greatest records of the Sixties.)

 

We’ll Sing in the Sunshine – Gale Garnett (8/64; #4 Pop – she spent her early years in New Zealand and then Canada, and had one really big hit in her career. This record won a Grammy award for Best Folk Record, and still can work its magic through the airwaves.)

 

 

Dancing In the Street – Martha & The Vandellas (8/64; #2 for two weeks – in the first summer of the British Invasion, this Detroit trio nearly cracked the top of the chart – turned back only by Manfred Mann’s “Doo Wah Diddy.” It remains their highest-charting single, and it may be one of the greatest summertime songs of them all.)

 

 

 

*  How Do You Do? – Mouth & McNeal (4/72; #8 – this requested song goes out to listener David, who was eager to hear “a lost earworm.” Dutch duo Mouth & McNeal were basically a one-hit wonder here in the States, but had a bunch of hits in Europe.)

 

 

 

*  A Whiter Shade of Pale – Procol Harum (6/67; #5 Pop, #1 UK for five weeks – this was a ubiquitous hit in the summer of 1967, and continues to sound fresh and exciting nearly fifty years later. In the ensuing years, it has sold over 10,000,000 copies and Rolling Stone Magazine ranks it at #57 in their RS500. Going out by telephone request.)

 

 

 

*  Last Train to Clarksville – The Monkees (8/66; #1 – according to an astute listener, this record was released on August 16, 1966. It was the debut single for a brand-new group and the first release for the brand-new Colgems Records label. Micky was the only member of the quartet to actually appear on the record, but the record helped launch the show and the show heavily promoted the single. The Monkees had arrived!)

 

 

 

Oh How Happy – Shades of Blue (6/66; #12 Pop, #16 R&B – they were a white/mixed gender “blue-eyed Soul” group from the Detroit area, and Edwin Starr liked their sound. He approached with a song that he’d been working on, and together they finished it and released it. The end result is this sweet little fingersnapper.)

 

 

 

1, 2, 3 Red Light – 1910 Fruitgum Company (7/68; #5 – these guys were the poster children for the genre called Bubblegum Music, and they had a string of hits in the late Sixties on the Buddah Records label. Tonight we hear this song on a pristine mono 45 – started at the wrong speed – and suddenly it’s 1968 all over again!)

 

 

 

Snowbird – Anne Murray (8/70; #8 Pop, #1 Canada – this was the Canadian chanteuse’s debut single on the American charts, and it signaled the start of a remarkable forty-year career of chart success on the Pop charts, the Country charts and the Contemporary Christian charts.)

 

 

 

Soul Limbo – Booker T & The M.G.s (7/68; #17 Pop, #7 R&B – this Memphis quartet was the studio group that played on nearly every single released on the Stax Records label. In this case, they were joined by Isaac Hayes on cowbell and Terry Manning on marimba with one of the most upbeat records of the year!)

 

 

 

(They Long to Be) Close to You – The Carpenters (8/70; #1 for four weeks in August – this was a Bacharach-David song that had languished in the vaults for a couple of years before this brother/sister duo dusted it off and made it their own. Richard plays the piano, Karen sings lead, and the two of them multi-tracked the background vocals to create a shimmering gem of a Pop single.)

 

 

 

Ooh Child – The 5 Stairsteps (8/70; #8 Pop, #14 R&B – this family group from Chicago was the original “first family of soul,” recording under the guidance of Curtis Mayfield, who also wrote the bulk of their early hits. At this point, they’d left to sign with a new label, and their version of Stan Vincent’s song became their biggest hit yet.)

 

 

  

7-8pm

 

 Birthday Calendar

 

 

August 10 – Ronnie Spector – born in 1943

            – Bobby Hatfield (Righteous Brothers) – born 1940

 

 

 

August 11 – Mike Hugg (Manfred Mann) – age 85

            – Eric Carmen (Raspberries) – born 1949

 

 

August 12 – Buck Owens – born in 1929

 

 

August 13 – Dan Fogelberg – born in 1951

 

           

 

August 14 – David Crosby – born 1941

            – Dash Crofts (Seals & Crofts) – age 86

 

August 15 – Jimmy Webb – age 71

           

 

August 16 – Eydie Gorme – born 1928

            – JT Taylor (Kool & the Gang) – age 72

 

 

 

 

 

My Babe – Righteous Brothers (9/63; #75 – before they were discovered by Phil Spector, they fronted a high-energy dance band playing the Black service clubs in Southern California, and they went by the name the Paramours. One night a couple of GIs caught them as they were coming out of the club and one of them said “You guys are some righteous brothers!” The name stuck, and tonight we hear them before Spector turned them into the polished balladeers they’re best known as.)

 

 

 

 

 

Do I Love You? – The Ronettes (8/64; #34 – Ronnie & Estelle Bennett grew up in Washington Heights and formed a trio with their cousin Nedra. Phil Spector saw something in them, as well, and signed them to his label. With the arranging/production assistance of Jack Nitzsche, he set out to create what he called “little symphonies for the kids.” This one is a prime example.)

 

 

 

I Wanna Be With You – Raspberries (11/72; #16 – Eric Carmen was born to be a rock ‘n’ roll star, and combined Beatlesque melodies with Spectorian “Wall of Sound” production values: lots of reverb and compression and full-tilt high-energy guitars and drums. He managed to claw his way out of Cleveland and leave his mark on the music world!)

 

 

 

The Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo) – Manfred Mann (3/68; #10 Pop, #1 in the UK for two weeks – drummer Mike Hugg was a co-founder of the group with pianist Manfred Mann, and it was a long and fruitful connection. They’d had some success with Dylan tunes and took a crack at this one with new lead singer Mike D’Abo, and it was a big hit on both sides of the ocean!)

 

 

 

Hello Trouble – Buck Owens & The Buckaroos (9/64; NR – he was born and raised in Texas, but eventually worked his way to Bakersfield, CA. This album track from their record Together Again would later be used in the Jeff Bridges movie “Crazy Heart,” but it could very well have charted had they released it as a single.)

 

 

 

The Bells of Rhymney – The Byrds (6/65; NR – this is another album track that was never released as a single. Pete Seeger put the words of Welsh poet Idris Davies to music, and David Crosby’s soaring harmonies are part of its true beauty.)

 

 

 

Illinois – Dan Fogelberg (12/74; NR – this one rounds out our trifecta of album tracks that could’ve been singles. Illinois native and multi-instrumentalist Dan Fogelberg plays many of the instruments on this track – and adds all of the harmonies. Album producer Joe Walsh also adds guitar work, and Al Perkins adds the pedal steel parts. The powers that be picked “Part of the Plan” to be the lone single from the album. They could’ve probably added another.)

 

 

 

 

Diamond Girl – Seals & Crofts (5/73; #6 – they were Texas natives with a very distinct sound and managed to score three #6 hits that still get played on Oldies radio. One cool factoid: studio guitarist Louie Shelton produced this album and added guitar work.)

 

 

 

Up, Up and Away – 5^th Dimension (6/67; #7 – composer Jimmy Webb was all of twenty-one years old when this song of his took home five Grammy awards. Johnny Rivers was an early champion of the young writer, and this was released on Johnny’s Soul City Records label. Tonight we hear the mono mix that poured out of radio speakers all that summer.)

 

 

 

Can’t Get Over (The Bossa Nova) – Eydie Gorme (7/63; #87 – her biggest hit was “Blame it on the Bossa Nova,” and it makes sense that she’d try to recapture its success. To be fair, this was actually the B-side of “I Want You to Meet My Baby,” so more people may have bought it without realizing it!)

 

 

 

Joanna – Kool & The Gang (11/83; #2 Pop, #1 R&B – this one features the smooth vocal stylings of co-writer JT Taylor, and it was certified by BMI as having been the “most-played Pop song of 1984.” They’d come a long way from their days as a full-tilt party funk band.)

 

 

 8-9pm

 

  

*  You’re All I Need to Get By – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell (8/68; #8 Pop, #1 R&B for five weeks – today marks fifty years since our friends George & Linda walked down the aisle, and George asked me to pick out “something good” by Marvin & Tammi. I hope that this one did the trick. Fifty years of marriage is truly a milestone, and these two are still very much in tune with each other. Happy anniversary, you two!)

 

 

*  Behind Closed Doors – Charlie Rich (4/73; #15 Pop, #1 C&W for two weeks – Scottie says that he remembers where he and Peggy were back in 1973. He is a master of space and time! This was one of a string of big crossover hits for the singer known as “The Silver Fox.”)

  

*  It’s Now Or Never – Elvis Presley (8/60; #1 for five weeks – today marks the anniversary of Elvis’ passing back in 1977 at the age of 42. I was having a hard time trying to pick a song that would do him justice, but listener Jeanne from Elmira called in asking for this one. It was in its first of five weeks at #1 on this very date in 1960. Long live The King.)

 

 

 

Suspicious Minds (Alt. Take 6) – Elvis Presley (11/69; #1 – we’ll do a double-shot of Elvis on the anniversary of his passing. This is an alternate take from a promotional CD that came into the radio station, and is not the final production that would give him his first #1 since 1962. Amazing what background singers, horns and strings can do to elevate a piece of music!)

 

 

Going Up the Country – Canned Heat (12/68; #11 – fifty-six years ago tonight – at about 8:30 pm - Canned Heat was taking the stage at Woodstock. This single probably helped earn them an invitation to play the festival, and this song was used prominently in the film to evoke the vibe of the event.)

 

 

Déjà Vu – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (9/70; dnc – this David Crosby song was the title track of the group’s second LP on the Atlantic, but it was also paired as the B-side of Graham Nash’s #30 hit “Our House.” Crosby plays multiple guitar parts and you can get a sense of what he brought to the proceedings if you listen carefully!)

 

 

*  God Only Knows – Beach Boys (8/66; #39 – at the top of the show I declared that we were playing “sounds of summers past,” and listener Tom suggested this one. It was paired as the B-side of “Wouldn’t it Be Nice,” and is considered one of the most musically sophisticated songs of the era. It is sublime.)

 

 

Not Too Long Ago – The Uniques (3/65; #66 – this Louisiana quintet recorded a string of singles for the Paula Records label, and this was the most successful of them. Meanwhile, the most successful member of the group would be keys player/lead singer Joe Stampley, who would eventually go on to a successful career in Nashville as a solo artist.)

 

 

 

I’m on the Outside (Looking In) – Little Anthony & The Imperials (8/65; #15 – this Brooklyn-based vocal group hadn’t had a hit in several years until they were approached by songwriter Teddy Randazzo with this song. It proved to be a winning formula, and would be the beginning of a beautiful partnership together.)

 

 

(If You Let Me Make Love to You Then) Why Can’t I Touch You? – Ronnie Dyson (8/70; #8 – Ronnie’s soaring tenor was first widely heard in the Broadway production of Hair when he was just 18 years old. He continued in theater, and his debut single was a number from the show he was in called Salvation, and it went onto be his greatest success.)

 

 

Lowdown – Boz Scaggs (8/76; #3 Pop, #5 R&B – Boz got his start as a singer with Steve Miller’s Blues Band and recorded a string of acclaimed albums as a solo artist over the years, but it was his Silk Degrees LP for Columbia that propelled him to stardom. “Lowdown” was one of four hit singles pulled from the album. Tonight we hear the 3:15 45 edit.)

 

 

 

 

Rose of Cimarron – Poco (8/76; #94 – the band had morphed multiple times since forming in 1968, but Rusty Young was there from the beginning. He wrote what would become perhaps their most epic song, with instrumental and vocal support from Paul Cotton and Timothy B. Schmit. FYI – radio station promos clocked in at nearly half the length, and without all of the strings and grandeur.)

 

 

 

Sailing – Christopher Cross (8/80; #1 – he was an army brat who grew up in San Antonio and who made Grammy history when he won all major award categories with his debut 1979 album. This song alone took home three of them: Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Arrangement of the Year. We end our show with a tip of the hat to our Lake and to the people who engage with it throughout the summer. See you in a month!)

 

 

 

 

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 (8/23/25):  Kim Vaughan with a spotlight TBD

 

 

 

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!