Rockin’ Remnants
Rockin’ Remnants is broadcast from WVBR-FM Ithaca. Check out our webpage, like us on Facebook, and tune in to 93.5 FM or stream the show every Saturday night from 6-9 p.m. Eastern. (Or download the WVBR+app now available for iOS and Android.)
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Date: December 13, 2025
Host: Gregory James
Feature: Walking
Birthday Calendar
December 7
Tom Waits 76 years old
Harry Chapin b. 1942 d. 1981
December 8
Gregg Allman b. 1947 d. 2017
Jim Morrison b. 1943 d. 1971
Jerry Butler b. 1939 d. 2025
December 9
Joan Armatrading 75 years old
Shirley Brickley (Orlons) b. 1944 d. 1977
December 10
Chad Stuart b. 1941 d. 2020
December 11
Brenda Lee 81 years old
December 12
Denny Dias (early Steely Dan guitarist) 79 years old
Dickey Betts b. 1943 d. 2024
Dionne Warwick 85 years old
Terry Kirkman (Association) b. 1939 d. 2023
Connie Francis b. 1937 d. 2025
December 13
Jeff “Skunk” Baxter (Steely Dan, Doobie Brothers) 77 years old
Rock n’ Roll Trivia
What piece of classical music starts “Walking the Dog” by Rufus Thomas?
(scroll down to find the answer below the playlist)
Playlist
* 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 subsequent dates) unless otherwise noted
* glossary of terms is below the playlist
6:00
OPENING THEME: Good Old Rock n’ Roll—Cat Mother and the All Night Newsboys (1969, #29, produced by Jimi Hendrix)
I’m Walkin’ Fats Domino 1957 #4 H100 #1 RB
Ricky Nelson’s version also reached #4 on the Hot 100 and #10 on the RB chart. For awhile, both Domino and Nelson recorded on the Imperial label.
Walking on Sunshine Katrina and the Waves 1985 #9
The band was not enthusiastic about the song at first and did not expect it to do well. It did very well for musical publisher EMI and was subsequently sold to BMG Rights Management (along with the rest of their catalog) for £ 10 million.
Walk on the Wild Side Lou Reed 1973 #16
Reed has said of the song: “I always thought it would be kinda fun to introduce people to characters they maybe hadn’t met before, or hadn’t wanted to meet.”
*D.W. Washburn The Monkees 1968 #19
A non-album cover single of a Leiber-Stoller song first recorded by The Coasters in 1967 but not released until 1968. This was the first Monkees single not to chart in the top 10.
Walking Along Solitaires 1957 DNC
This record was on the Argo label and was the Solitaires’ best selling record.
Walkin’ With My Angel Bobby Vee 1962 #53
This Carole King and Gerry Goffin composition was included on his album “Take Good Care of My Baby.”
*Walk Like a Man Four Seasons 1963 #1
Legend has it that a room directly above the recording studio caught fire during the recording of the song.
Remember (Walking in the Sand) Shangri-Las 1964 #5
According to one source, the original version of the song was almost 7 minutes long.
I Walk the Line Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two 1956 #17
This song recorded for Sun Records topped the country chart first, then crossed over to the pop chart.
These Boots are Made for Walking Nancy Sinatra 1966 #1
Apparently Lee Hazlewood took the song’s title from this line spoken by Frank Sinatra in the 1963 film 4 for Texas: “They tell me them boots ain’t built for walkin’.”
Walking the Dog Rufus Thomas 1963 #10
The opening notes are from Mendelssohn’s Wedding March.
Walking in Rhythm Blackbyrds 1975 #6 H100, #4 RB, #5 AC
*Twenty-Five Miles Edwin Starr 1969 #6 Hot 100 and RB
The title track from Starr's second album. Requested by Scottie for Peggy.
Walkin’ in the Rain Ronettes 1964 #23 H100, #3 RB (1965)
Cynthia Weill and Barry Mann wrote the song with some tinkering by Phil Spector.
Walk on the Water Creedence Clearwater Revival 1968 NR
This song was written by Tom Fogerty.
Walkin’ After Midnight Patsy Cline 1957 #12 H100, #2 CW
This was Cline’s first major hit record. She is backed by session players The Nashville A-Team, with Don Helms on steel guitar.
7:00
Step Right Up Tom Waits 1976
Jim Hughart played bass, the legendary Shelly Manne on drums and Lew Tabackin played tenor sax.
W.O.L.D. Harry Chapin 1973
One sure way to get your song played on the radio was to make radio the subject of the song. Deejays used to be an itinerant lot with each market having its own hometown deejays. Now, a lot of radio is syndicated with deejays broadcasting from studios far away from the cities they serve.
Please Call Home Allman Brothers 1970
From their second album Idlewild South. The Brothers built their reputation from their live dates. In 1970 they played 161 shows according to setlist.fm.
Crystal Ship Doors 1967
The B-side to “Light My Fire.” The song was about a romantic break up, not about crystal meth.
He Will Break Your Heart Jerry Butler 1961 #1 RB #7 H100
Curtis Mayfield co-wrote the song and sang the harmony. Butler and Mayfield had previously sung together in the Impressions.
Down to Zero Joan Armatrading 1976
Drums by Kenney Jones of the Faces.
Walk Right In Orlons 1962
This track was a cover of a popular song at the time off their album “Wah-Watusi.” The group was signed to Cameo Parkway records after three auditions and started out singing back up vocals for Dee Dee Sharp.
Sunstroke Chad and Jeremy 1968 DNC
The duo had relocated to California where they attempted a psychedelic album called “Ark” in the fashion of Sgt. Pepper’s.
Coming On Strong Brenda Lee 1966 #11
This was the only single released from the album of the same name, and it was her last top 20 single.
Do It Again Steely Dan 1972 #6
Some folks see the songs as a meditation on the wheel of karma—doing things over and over until you get it right.
Blue Sky Allman Brothers 1972
Dickey Betts wrote, sang and played co-lead guitar with Duane Allman. At Duane’s encouragement, it was Dickey’s debut as a vocalist.
Walk On By Dionne Warwick 1964 #6
This was Warwick’s second international million selling record.
8:00
How Do the Fools Survive? Doobie Brothers 1979
Outstanding guitar by Jeff Baxter on this B-side to “Depending On You.”
Walk Away Renee Left Banke 1966 #5
An uncredited Jackie Kelso played the flute solo.
Walk Right Back Everly Brothers 1961 #7
Sunny Curtis did write a second verse of the song, and it has appeared on cover versions by Perry Como and Andy Williams, but the Everlys never recorded the second verse.
Walk Slow Little Willie John 1960 #48
Walk Don’t Run The Ventures 1960 #2 H100, #13 RB
It was written by jazz guitarist Johnny Smith in 1954. The Tacoma based Ventures released their version on Dolton Records
* Sleepwalker The Kinks 1977 #48
Legend has it that the song is about Ray Davies' insomnia.
Walk a Mile in My Shoes Joe South and the Believers 1970 #12
This track was recorded at South’s Atlanta home studio.
Walk On Neil Young 1974 #69
Recorded at Young’s home studio at Broken Arrow Ranch,
The Walk Jimmy McCracklin 1958 #7 H100, #5 RB
McCracklin began recording in 1946 and his popularity surged after he performed “The Walk” in 1957 on American Bandstand.
Walk On Roy Orbison 1968 #121
The record is a cult favorite, even though it bubbled under the Hot 100.
Walk on the Wild Side Brook Benton 1962 #43
Walk on the Wild Side Pt. 2 Jimmy Smith and Oliver Nelson 1962 #21 H100, #4 RB
Brook Benton’s version of the Elmer Bernstein song was heard over the ending and the credits of the film “Walk on the Wild Side”. Jimmy Smith’s version was released as a double sided single.
Walk Away Donna Summer 1980 #36
This was a single from “Bad Girls,” her final album for Casablanca Records.
Walk This Way Aerosmith 1977 #10
According to legend, the title and refrain of the song were inspired by the film “Young Frankenstein.”
You’ll Never Walk Alone Gerry and the Pacemakers 1965 #48
The Rogers and Hammerstein song from Carousel has become the anthem for the Liverpool Football Club. Gerry Marsden has said that the manager of the team, once said, “Gerry, my son, I have given you a football team and you have given us a song.”
Walking Back to Georgia Jim Croce 1972 NR
An album cut from “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim.”
That Lonesome Road James Taylor 1981 NR
Peter Asher and Jennifer Warnes were part of the backing choir for the song.
CLOSING THEME: Sleep Walk – Santo and Johnny (1959, #1 for two weeks)
Trivia Answer
“Walking the Dog” by Rufus Thomas starts with Mendelsshon’s “Wedding March.”
Congratulations to Dave from Ithaca for correctly answering the question and winning a pair of passes to Cinemapolis, downtown Ithaca’s home for first-run, international, independent and local films.
Glossary of Terms:
DNC = did not chart
NR = not released as a single at the time
AC = Billboard’s chart for Adult Contemporary records
H100 = Billboard Hot 100
Bubbling Under = songs that were ranked but fell below the top 100
CW = Billboard’s chart for country and western records
RB = Billboard’s chart of rhythm and blues records
Host December 20, 2025: Jan Hunsinger with a pre-recorded Christmas Special!
Thanks for tuning in! You can listen to Rockin’ Remnants every Saturday night from 6-9 p.m. Eastern on WVBR (93.5 FM in Ithaca NY) or streaming on WVBR.com.
Thanks again to our sponsors Island Health & Fitness and Rasa Spa for their support every week!
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