March 14, 2026
Host: Jan Hunsinger (JH)
Spotlight: The Sounds of Laurel Canyon -
Laurel Canyon is a mountainous neighborhood in the Hollywood Hills that was a vibrant music community in the late '60s and early '70s. Many great artists mingled and shared their talents. Follow the connections below!
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OPENING THEME: Good Old Rock ‘n’ Roll – Cat Mother & the All-Night Newsboys (1969 - #29: produced by Jimi Hendrix)
Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon) - The Mamas and the Papas (1967 - #20: Papa John Phillips wrote the song to capture the spirit of the Laurel Canyon)
Our House - Crosby, Stills,Nash, and Young (1970 - #30: Graham Nash wrote the song about everyday life when he lived with Joni Mitchell in her Laurel Canyon house)
Big Yellow Taxi - Joni Mitchell (1970 - #67: from her LP "Ladies of the Canyon"; the song was voted #9 of Canada's all-time Top 50 songs)
Going Up the Country - Canned Heat (1969 - #11: the group lived in the house next door to Joni Mitchell, until it was destroyed by fire)
Love Street - The Doors (1968 - DNC: Jim Morrison and partner Pamela Courson lived in a house across the street from the Laurel Canyon Country Store; song was the B-side to "Hello, I Love You")
Alone Again Or - Love (1970 - #99: singer/songwriter/lead guitarist Arthur Lee has been called "a pivotal, often reclusive figure in the Laurel Canyon music scene"; song ranks #436/RS500)
Where's the Playground Susie - Glen Campbell (1969 - #26: Campbell owned an estate at the top of Laurel Canyon)
California Earthquake - Cass Elliot (1968 - #67: the ex-Mama was the unofficial matriarch of the Laurel Canyon community)
Go Back - Crabby Appleton (1970 - #36: a one-hit wonder, the group was named for a character on Captain Kangaroo's "Tom Terrific" cartoon series and opened for The Doors, Sly and the Family Stone, and Three Dog Night, among others)
Mississippi - John Phillips (1970 - #32: the ex-Papa released a classic solo album entitled "John Phillips (John: The Wolf King of L.A.)"; he was backed by the famed Wrecking Crew)
Back on the Street Again - The Sunshine Company (1967 - #36: one of the lesser-known Laurel Canyon groups)
It's Too Late - Carole King (1971 - #1: after a songwriting stint in New York City's Brill Building in the early '60s, King moved to L.A. and began a solo career; song ranks #469/RS500 and spent 5 weeks at #1)
Rock Me - Steppenwolf (1969 - #10: from their third LP entitled "At Your Birthday Party", the cover photo of which was taken in Canned Heat's burned-out house)
Jesus Was a Cross Maker - Judee Sill (1971 - DNC: Sill has been termed "the phantom of Laurel Canyon"; Graham Nash produced this song, about her relationship with J.D. Souther, which is perhaps her best-known; she was the first artist that David Geffen signed to his Asylum record label, and she opened for Nash and David Crosby's national tour; she also appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine in 1972, but record sales did not accompany her rave reviews and she descended into drug addiction and early death at the age of 35; Sill has been called "an artist whose brilliance was matched only by her capacity for self-destruction")
7:00 - 8:00 The Birthday Calendar
March 8:
Mickey Dolenz (The Monkees) - 81
Randy Meisner (The Eagles) - b. 2023
Little Peggy March [Margaret Battavio] - 78
March 9:
Lloyd Price - b. 1933
Gary Walker [Leeds] - b. 1942
Mark Lindsay - 84
March 10:
Dean Torrence (Jan & Dean) - 86
Tom Scholz (Boston) - 79
March 11:
Mark Stein (Vanilla Fudge) - 79
Katie Kissoon - 75
March 12:
James Taylor - 78
Marlon Jackson (Jackson 5) - 69
March 13:
Mike Stoller - 93
Neil Sedaka - b. 1939
March 14:
Jim Pons (The Turtles) - 83
Michael Murphy - 81
As We Go Along - The Monkees (1968 - #106: song was released as the B-side of "The Porpoise Song" and was written by Carole King, who also played piano on the track; Monkees Mickey Dolenz and Peter Tork both lived in the Laurel Canyon)
Take It to the Limit - The Eagles (1976 - #4: Laurel Canyon resident and group bass player Randy Meisner co-wrote and sang lead on this big hit)
I Will Follow Him - Little Peggy March (1963 - #1: March was only 4'9" and 15 years old when this song topped the BBHot100)
Stagger Lee - Lloyd Price (1959 - #1: song was first recorded in 1923 based on a true story; Price's version was #1 for 4 weeks and ranks #456/RS500)
Make It Easy on Yourself - The Walker Brothers (1965 - #16: Gary Walker just passed away on March 1 of this year, he was the one who convinced the other two "Brothers" that their career would flourish in England, where this cover of the Jerry Butler hit went to #1; song was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David)
Miss America - Mark Lindsay (1970 - #44: allegorical song by the former lead singer of Paul Revere and the Raiders; Lindsay rented a home in Laurel Canyon that was later leased to Roman Polanski and was the site of Sharon Tate's murder by members of the Manson family)
Honolulu Lulu - Jan & Dean (1963 - #11: duo were pioneers of the California surf sound)
Peace of Mind - Boston (1977 - #38: Tom Scholz was the musical genius behind the group)
You Keep Me Hanging On - Vanilla Fudge (1967 - #6: Mark Stein was the keyboardist and lead singer for the psychedelic band; we heard the 2:50 single edit)
Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep - Mac & Katie Kissoon (1971 - #20: brother and sister duo that were born in Trinidad)
You've Got a Friend - James Taylor (1971 - #1: Taylor was living with then girlfriend Joni Mitchell in King's house; King wrote the song which won Grammys for Song of the Year and Pop Male Vocal, Mitchell provided backing vocals)
The Love You Save - The Jackson 5 (1970 - #1: the group's third consecutive #1)
Lucky Lips - Ruth Brown (1957 - #25: one of over 70 charting hits for that great songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller)
Little Devil - Neil Sedaka (1961 - #11: Sedaka wrote 11 #1 songs for himself and 4 #1's for other artists)
Lady-O - The Turtles (1969 - #78: bassist Jim Pons was a big supporter of Judee Sill, who wrote the song and directed the orchestra)
Carolina in the Pines - Michael Murphey (1975 - #21: Murphey later became a country artist and added his middle name 'Martin' to distinguish from the actor of the same name)
Passing: "Country" Joe McDonald - born 1/1/42 and died 3/7/26 (84). McDonald's parents were communists and named him after Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. A cultural icon for his "FISH" cheer performance at Woodstock, McDonald recorded 40 albums. We heard "Flying High" from his first LP "Electric Music for the Mind and Body", which Allmusic.com calls, "one of the most important and enduring documents of the psychedelic era."
Suite: Judy Blue Eyes - Crosby, Stills, and Nash (1969 - #21: classic song that Laurel Canyon resident Stephen Stills wrote about his then girlfriend Judy Collins; #418/RS500)
Both Sides Now - Judy Collins (1968 - #8: Joni Mitchell wrote this hit recorded by her Laurel Canyon friend Collins; song won a Grammy for Best Folk Record; photo of them below)
Rock Me on the Water - Linda Ronstadt (1972 - #85: written by Jackson Browne, Ronstadt got backing vocals from future Eagles Glenn Frey, Don Henley, and Randy Meisner)
Song to the Siren - Tim Buckley (1968 - NR: Buckley, who shared a Laurel Canyon home with Linda Ronstadt for a time, performed this song on the final episode of The Monkees TV show)
45 Corner
Fountain of Sorrow - Jackson Browne (1975 - DNC: a song about his relationship with Joni Mitchell, Browne has been called, "the poet laureate of Laurel Canyon"; we heard the 4:37 mono single, the LP version runs 6:42)
Christine's Tune (The Devil in Disguise) - The Flying Burrito Brothers (1969 - NR: Gram Parsons was living in Laurel Canyon with bandmate Chris Hillman in a home they termed "Burrito Manor")
Come On In - The Association (1968 - NR: the group was part of the Laurel Canyon scene although their music was more sunshine pop than somber singer/songwriter)
CLOSING THEME: Sleepwalk – Santo & Johnny (1959 - #1 for two weeks; brothers Santo [steel guitar] and Johnny [rhythm guitar] Farina from Brooklyn)
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