February 21, 2026 - JS - First-Timers and Groundbreakers

 

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:  2/21/26

Host:  John Simon

Feature:  First-Timers/Groundbreakers

 

 

 

I'm subbing last-minute on tonight's Rockin' Remnants show! My buddy Greg got hit with the flu, and I had the night off - so I'm wading in with my sleeves rolled up and a bunch of great tunes for you. What had started as a spotlight on "firsts" (debut singles for new record labels, groundbreaking musical debuts) is starting to look more and more like a celebration of Black History Month! Come on over and join the party from 6-9pm on WVBR. Cool tunes and backstories for everyone!

   

 

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)

 

Come Softly to Me – Fleetwoods (4/59; #1 for four weeks -

Three high school kids from Olympia, WA were the first act signed to the brand-new Dolphin Records label, and their first recording was just their three voices accompanied by a set of jingling car keys. A simple layer of bass-and-guitar was added, and it became a national #1. Unfortunately, the name of the label had already been claimed, so subsequent releases were on the Dolton Records label!)

 

 

 

Be My Boy – The Paris Sisters (4/61; #56 – LA record producer Lester Sill formed Gregmark Records with Lee Hazelwood, and their first charting single was this song by the Paris Sisters. It was produced by young Phil Spector, who would soon team with Les to form a new label. We’ll hear more about Philles Records later in the show.)

 

 

Angel On My Shoulder – Shelby Flint (12/60; #22 – she was a high school kid from San Diego who caught the ear of fellow musician Barry DeVorzon, who was preparing to start his own record label. She was the first artist that he signed, and her first record was a hit! He’d soon chart one as the leader of Barry & The Tamerlanes, but the label’s biggest coup would be an LA outfit called The Association.)

 

 

The Lonely Bull – Tijuana Brass featuring Herb Alpert (10/62; #6 – trumpeter Herb Alpert recorded the basic track for this single in his garage, and it was later supplemented by an unidentified soprano singer and members of LA’s Wrecking Crew. It was also the first release on the new label that Alpert formed with his partner Jerry Moss. It was the beginning of a record label that would become a major player in the music industry well into the Seventies.)

 

 

Stoney End – The Blossoms (4/67; dnc – Dunhill Records producer Lou Adler created a new label for some of his personal projects, and would eventually sign Peggy Lipton and Scott McKenzie – but his first act was session singer Darlene Love and her trio The Blossoms, and their first release was the first cover of a Laura Nyro song. Several years later Barbra Streisand would have a Top Ten hit with this same song.)

 

 

It Ain’t Me Babe – The Turtles (8/65; #8 – this is another southern California label, known best as the home of The Turtles. In fact, the first three singles released on the label were Turtles numbers. Relations were often strained between the artists and management, and the label would fold a few years later following the group's disbanding.)

 

 

 

 

Last Train to Clarksville – The Monkees (11/66; #1 – this label was created by the people at Screen Gems to help increase profits through the recordings of the young performers in their television stables. The Monkees were their biggest act, but other young stars included Sally Field, Sajid Khan and Davy Jones as a solo act. This was the very first Colgems single, and its sales skyrocketed with the launch of the band’s new TV series.)

 

 

 

(We’ll Be) United – The Intruders (7/66; #78 Pop, #14 R&B – Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff were Philadelphia writers and producers who launched their own record label in 1966. They’d eventually expand their empire to include Philadelphia International Records, and help shape the sound of popular music in the Seventies. This was the first single from their fledgling operation.)

 

 

 

Rocket “88” – Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats (4/51; #1 R&B for five weeks – this record, recorded in Memphis by Ike Turner & His Rhythm Kings but attributed to the group’s singer/sax man, is widely considered to be the very first Rock and Roll record, combining elements of Blues with electric instruments and a fuzz bass sound. Tonight we hear a stereo rendering created by the folks at Eric Records.)

 

 

Maybellene – Chuck Berry (8/55; #5 Pop, #1 R&B for eleven weeks – it was John Lennon who once famously said “If you tried to give rock ‘n’ roll another name you might call it ‘Chuck Berry.’” This was Chuck’s first charting single and appeared on both the Black and white radio charts. This was a truly groundbreaking single.)

 

 

Will You Love Me Tomorrow – The Shirelles (1/61; #1 Pop for two weeks, #1 R&B for four weeks – here we have the first #1 hit for an all-Black Girl Group, further breaking down race barriers in popular music. Carole King & Gerry Goffin wrote it, and it would later chart for Peter & Gordon, The 4 Seasons, Roberta Flack, Linda Ronstadt and even Dave Mason.)

 

 

There Goes My Baby – The Drifters (6/59; #2 – music writers seem to agree that this blending of R&B rhythms with orchestral strings may be the very first example of what would come to be called Soul music. Another thing that makes this one “a first” is that it was the debut of a completely revamped Drifters line-up featuring composer Ben E King on lead vocals.)

 

 

Come Go With Me – Del Vikings (2/57; #4 Pop, #2 R&B – this combo, formed on an Army base in the Pittsburgh area, was the first mixed-race group to have a Top Ten hit on the Pop charts. Bit by bit, racial barriers were being dismantled thanks to popular music.)

 

 

He’s a Rebel – The Crystals (11/62; #1 Pop for two  weeks, #2 R&B – Phil Spector and Lester Sill formed Philles Records and started making ripples in 1961. One of their first acts was a NYC group called The Crystals. When Phil heard that Gene Pitney had written a song that Vikki Carr was about to record, he hastily booked Darlene Love’s Blossoms to record it in LA – and then released it under The Crystals’ name. In addition to becoming the label’s first #1, it completely sank Vikki’s chances of having a hit with her version, and it began a lifelong feud between Spector and Darlene Love, who felt that HER name should’ve been on the label.)

 

 

 

7-8pm

 

 Birthday Calendar

 

 

February 15 – Mick Avory (Kinks) – age 82

            – Melissa Manchester – age 75

           

 

 

February 16 – Otis Blackwell – born in 1931

     – Harold Kalin (Kalin Twins) – born in 1934

            – Sonny Bono – born in 1935

            – Lenny Williams (ToP) – age 81

            – Lyn Paul (New Seekers) – age 77

            – James Ingram – born in 1952

 

 

February 17 – Gene Pitney – born 1941

           

 

February 18 – Robin Bachman (BTO) – born in 1953

            – Keith Knudsen (Doobies) – born in 1948

 

 

February 19 – Smokey Robinson – age 86

     – Bobby Rogers (Miracles) – born in 1940

            – Lou Christie – born in 1943

            – Mark Andes (Spirit) – age 78

 

 

February 20 – Walter Becker (Steely Dan) – 1950

            – Randy California (Spirit) – born 1951

 

 

February 21 – Nina Simone– born in 1933

 

 

 

Dead End Street – The Kinks (1/67; #73 – this was originally a non-album single written by Ray Davies who called the song “anguished voices calling to a heartless world.” Mick Avory on drums.)

 

 

Whenever I Call You Friend – Melissa Manchester & Arnold McCuller (ca. 1979; NR – Manchester co-wrote the song with Kenny Loggins. Kenny’s duet with Stevie Nicks reached #5 in the summer of 1978. The two arrangements are quite similar.)

 

 

Moody – Kalin Twins (7/59; dnc – This was the B-side to “Sweet Sugar Lips,” and both sides were written by Boudelaux & Felice Bryant, who wrote several songs for the Everly brothers. That might account for how much the Kalins sound like the Everlys.)

 

 

The Revolution Kind – Sonny (11/65; #70 – at this point he was going by the name of Sonny – just Sonny.)

 

 

Don’t Change Horses (In the Middle of the Stream) – Tower of Power (7/74; #26 Pop, #22 R&B – the rhythm section and the horn section remained fairly constant, but the band boasted a string of Black “front men/lead singers” through the years and Lenny was probably the best. He co-wrote this song with Johnny Guitar Watson.)

 

 

Circles – New Seekers (7/72; #87 – Lyn Paul was one of the vocalists on this one, which was written by Harry Chapin. Did you notice that the vocal moved from one channel to the other? It’s a circle!)

 

 

Just Once – James Ingram & Quincy Jones (8/81; #17 Pop, #11 R&B – James Ingram was a smooth Soul crooner with a string of hits in the Eighties, and this was the very first one. It was written by Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil. Quincy Jones did the arranging and producing.)

 

 

All Shook Up – Otis Blackwell (12/77; NR – Blackwell recorded his version nineteen years after Elvis’ 1957 release. This track was taken from his album These Are My Songs, which has an amazing line-up of his catalog as a composer!)

 

 

Town Without Pity – Gene Pitney (10/61; #13 – this was a typically bombastic Pitney recording of a song that was written for the film of the same title. It was up for an Academy Award as Best Song, but lost to “Moon River” from Breakfast at Tiffany’s.)

 

 

Hey You – Bachman-Turner Overdrive (5/75; #21 – Robin Bachman was the drummer in the band that also included his brother Randy. Listener Jon called in to ask “Is it just me, or is this practically the same song as ‘You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet???’” I assured him that it wasn’t just him. BTW – this song went to #1 in Canada.)

 

 

One Step Closer – Doobie Brothers (11/80; #24 – drummer Keith Knudsen was one of the writers of this one.)

 

 

Ooh Baby Baby – The Miracles (3/65; #16 Pop, #4 R&B – both lead singer/writer Smokey Robinson and tenor Bobby Rogers were born in the same Detroit hospital on February 19, 1940, and his cousin Claudette would later join the group and marry Smokey!)

 

 

 

 

 

8-9pm

 

  

House of the Rising Sun – Animals (9/64; #1 for three weeks – this one was called in by listener Greg, who points out that it was the first American folk ballad to be given a rock ‘n’ roll edge and released by a British Invasion band. The original 45 is a horribly-edited version of the 4:32 album version we hear tonight.)

 

 

In the Midnight Hour – Wilson Pickett (7/65; #21 Pop, #1 R&B – going out to listener Nick in southern New Jersey, this was “the wicked Pickett’s” first charting single for the Atlantic label, and he co-authored it with guitarist Steve Cropper. It’s gone on to become a bar band staple and Rolling Stone Magazine has it ranked at #134 in its RS500.)

 

 

Love Train – The O’Jays (3/73; #1 Pop, #1 R&B for four weeks – the O’Jays would score fifteen Top 5 R&B hits over the years for Philadelphia International Records. This was another Gamble & Huff composition, and their Philly Soul sound was ubiquitous on Pop radio throughout the decade.)

 

 

Don’t Let Me Be Understood – Nina Simone (12/64; #131 – here’s one more from the Birthday Calendar. Her version of this song would bubble under before The Animals would score a big hit with it.)

 

 

Testify (Pt. I) – The Isley Brothers (5/64; dnc – they were originally from Cincinnati and eventually ended up in Teaneck, NJ where they formed their own record label. This was the very first release on said label, a label that would lay dormant until they resurrected it in 1969. Of special interest here? That’s Jimmy James wailing on the guitar. He’d eventually reinvent himself as Jimi Hendrix and go on to great things on his own.)

 

 

Fingertips (Pt. 2) – Little Stevie Wonder (8/63; #1 Pop for three weeks, #1 R&B for six weeks – he has the distinction of having been the youngest solo artist with a #1 record at the time. The LP that yielded this single billed him as “The Twelve Year Old Genius.” He would go on to become one of the most important artists of the 20^th Century.)

 

 

I Want You Back – Jackson Five (1/70; #1 Pop, #1 R&B for four weeks – speaking of “youngest,” it was Michael Jackson who had the distinction of being the youngest member of a group with a #1 single. This would be the brothers’ debut record for the Motown label, and  it would be the first of four consecutive #1s for the quintet. BTW, Michael was just getting warmed up….)

 

 

Sukiyaki – Kyu Sakamoto (6/63; #1 for three weeks – this is the answer to the trivia question “What was the first #1 in the States in a non-European language?” The title of the song has nothing to do with the actual lyrics, which tell the story of a man who walks looking upward so that his tears don’t fall. It was purely a marketing gimmick. D’oh.)

 

 

Telstar – The Tornadoes (12/62; #1 for three weeks – and THIS is the answer to the question “What was the first American #1 single by a British group?” No, it wasn’t The Beatles, who were still a year away from landing on the charts over here. These guys were studio players, so they weren’t exactly a band band, but this is one cool instrumental!)

 

 

Lightnin’ Strikes – Lou Christie (2/66; #1 – born on February 19, 1943 his name was really Lugee Sacco, and his soaring falsetto was part of his signature sound. This record was his crowning achievement and featured Bernadette Carroll and Peggy Santiglia on background vocals.)

 

 

From Me to You – Del Shannon (3/63; #77 – this is the answer to the trivia question “What was the first Lennon-McCartney composition to chart in the States?” Del Shannon once shared the stage with the boys in London and was taken with their sound – so much so that he came home and recorded this song of theirs. Within a year they would completely overwhelm the Billboard charts, holding down 14 of the 100 slots themselves!)

 

 

45 Corner:  Over My Head – Fleetwood Mac (11/75; #20 – Fleetwood Mac was a British Blues band with a rotating cast of guitarists and had been moderately successful, but that would all change when two young Californians joined the band. Guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and singer Stevie Nicks dramatically altered the band’s sound and look, and helped catapult them into superstars. This was the very first single by this configuration, and it’s different from the album version we all know so well.)

 

 

1984 – Spirit (2/70; #69 – guitarist Randy California and bassist Mark Andes both had February birthdays, and must have both been gratified to have a record released at about that time. Gregory James says “Randy California wrote this disturbingly prophetic song, taking inspiration from the equally prophetic George Orwell book of the same name.”)

 

 

Black Friday – Steely Dan (5/75; #37 – one last leftover from the birthday calendar. Gregory James says that this one contains “one of Walter Becker’s most searing guitar solos.” And that, my friends, is a wrap!)

 

 

 

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 (2/28/26):  Kim Vaughan with a spotlight she calls “Triple-Down” (she picks 5 artists and will play three songs by each over the course of the show).

 

 

 

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!