April 4, 2026 - J - Early April

 

 

 

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:  4/4/26

Host:  John Simon

Feature:  April Songs

 

Tonight it's mostly songs that were on the radio from Aprils past, but it's also the anniversary of the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968 - and the anniversary of the week that The Beatles historically held down the Top five slots on the Billboard Hot 100. Both of those events will play a part in tonight's show, plus we have a ticket giveaway and a trivia contest and your requests. Let's go!

 

 

 

Rock ‘n’ Roll Trivia

Today marks that day in music history where The Beatles occupied the top five slots in Billboard’s Hot 100. This was partly possible because multiple labels were releasing their songs at once. Can you name the four labels that accounted for those five singles? 

 

(scroll down to find the answer below the playlist – and to find a glossary of terms)

 

 

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)

 

Since I Don’t Have You – Skyliners (3/59; #12 Pop, #3 R&B – they were five white teenagers from Pittsburgh who wrote their own material and landed a recording deal with Calico Records, thanks in part to the soulful vocal stylings of young Jimmy Beaumont. Recorded at Capitol Studios in NYC, this session used 18 musicians – an unprecedented number for a teen vocal group. Tonight we hear a new stereo rendering of the original recording.)

 

 

Where Have All the Flowers Gone – Kingston Trio (3/62; #4 – the trio had recently lost founding member Dave Guard, who’d become disillusioned with their gradual departure from “pure” Folk music. His replacement was John Stewart, whose Pop sensibilities would soon become apparent. In this arrangement of Pete Seeger’s song, each member takes a verse before all three combine for the last. Here it is 64 years later, and we’re still singing about peace.)

 

 

Oh My Angel – Bertha Tillman (5/62; #61 – she was a one-hit wonder from the San Diego area and recorded for the tiny Brent Records label. It’s hard to find much info about her, but this is a beautiful little ballad and I’m glad to be able send it out into the night.)

 

 

Walk Right Back – Everly Brothers (3/61; #7 – Sonny Curtis had written this while he was in the service, and brought it over to LA on his three-day leave, where the Crickets and The Everlys were doing record label business. He’d only written one verse and the chorus when he sang it to Don and Phil, but they liked it! They tinkered with it and actually recorded it over the next two days, not even knowing that there was a second verse coming – and released it without that second verse, by simply repeating the one verse that they knew. It was a hit!)

 

 

Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying – Gerry & The Pacemakers (4/64; #4 – The Beatles opened the door for a flood of British acts, including this group from Liverpool. Gerry Marsden was a smooth performer and their records were beautifully produced by George Martin. This is one of the most enduring hits from the British Invasion.)

 

 

*  Cathy’s Clown – Everly Brothers (4/60; #1 for five weeks – listener Tom called this one in, and it turns out to be almost an Everly Brothers double-shot! They had famously left Cadence Records after signing a record-breaking deal with Warner Brothers, and this was their first release on their new label – written by Don & Phil, themselves. It went onto sell millions of copies, and actually spent seven weeks at #1 in the UK. The gamble had paid off!)

 

 

A Groovy Kind of Love – Mindbenders (4/66; #2 for two weeks – Wayne Fontana had left the group to become a solo star, and the three remaining members carried on alone as a trio. Their first charting single was this smash from the pens of Carole Bayer Sager and Toni Wine. It would also prove to be a chart-topper for Phil Collins in the Eighties. By then, band member Eric Stewart would have had success with his new group, 10 CC.)

 

 

Postcard From Jamaica – Sopwith Camel (4/67; #88 – the Bay Area band had only two charting singles for Kama Sutra Records, and this one only spent two weeks on the Hot 100. It came in a picture sleeve, though, and starts with a ringing doorbell. A fun sonic treat for all of us who stayed behind while the college kids went on Spring Break!)

 

 

*  Where the Boys Are – Connie Francis (12/61; #10 – this is another Spring Break favorite going out to our friend Barbara. Neil Sedaka was a co-writer and nobody, apparently, was very excited about it until it started getting radio play. The movie did better, the royalty payments were great and it became one of Connie’s biggest hits!)

 

 

Iko Iko – The Dixie Cups (4/65; #20 – we’re a little late for Fat Tuesday, but this Mardi Gras staple is an example of a long tradition of rival street “krewes” boasting about how they were better than the others. Two of the group members had learned it from their grandmother, and they spontaneously started singing it at the end of a recording session, accompanying themselves on drumsticks hitting an aluminum chair, a studio ashtray and a Coke bottle!)  

 

 

No Time Like the Right Time – Blues Project (4/67; #96 – this Greenwich Village band was made up of young Jewish Blues players who were joined by Al Kooper and recorded the very cool Projections album on the Verve label. The band quickly began to dissolve, but Verve did release this Al Kooper song as the group’s lone single. It spent two weeks on the chart at #96 and then became a faded memory.)

 

 

My Best Friend – Jefferson Airplane (2/67; #103 – the group had recently added singer Grace Slick to the fold and this was chosen as the lead single from their Surrealistic Pillow LP. It was a flop. They soon followed it with “Somebody to Love” and then “White Rabbit,” and suddenly they were one of the hottest bands in the business!)

 

 

45 Corner:  At the Zoo – Simon & Garfunkel (3/67; #16 – the duo was able to do no wrong at this point, and their first thirteen singles all reached the Top 25 – with three of them reaching #1. Thematically ranging from social commentary to poetry to whimsical flights of fancy, all of their songs were written by Paul, and most of their singles differed from the LP versions. In this case, the mono mix is more compressed, the percussion hits are more pronounced, and the record is sped up ever so slightly. This is the way to hear it!)

 

 

A Change Is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke (2/65; #31 Pop, #9 R&B – today marks the anniversary of Martin Luther King’s assassination in Memphis in 1968. In his honor, we hear Sam Cooke’s posthumous masterpiece from three years prior. Apparently, Cooke was inspired to write something meaningful and political in response to Dr. King’s activism – and after having heard Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind.” It still resonates all these years later.)

 

 

A Horse With No Name – America (4/72; #1 – this was the trio’s debut single, and was in its second of three weeks at #1. They were three young men who had met on an American army base in England, where their families were all stationed. Their blend of acoustic instruments and close harmonies, plus an ability to write their own material, led to a recording contract. They’d continue a prolific run through the decade, but this was their biggest hit.)

 

 

*  Don’t Play That Song (You Lied) – Ben E King (4/62; #11 Pop, #2 R&B for four weeks – this request came in from listener Tom Preston, who wrote “I had another idea for an April song, but I think ‘Don't Play That Song’ by Ben E King is impossible to request.” That made me laugh out loud, and led me to dig it out of our vinyl library. Funny guy, that Tom!)

 

 

 

 

7-8pm

 

 Birthday Calendar

 

March 29 – Chad Allan (Guess Who) – born in 1943 

 

 

March 30 – Frankie Laine – born in 1914

            – Graeme Edge (Moody Blues) – 1941

            –Eric Clapton (Cream) – age 81

 

 

March 31 – JD Loudermilk – born in 1934

            – Herb Alpert – age 91

 

April 1 – Rudolph Isley – born in 1939

            – Phil Margo (Tokens) – born in 1942

 

April 2 – Marvin Gaye – born in 1939

            – Leon Russell – born in 1942

 

 

April 3 – Don Gibson – born in 1928

            – Jeff Barry – age 88         

     – Jan Berry (Jan & Dean) – born in 1941

            – Billy Joe Royal – born in 1942

 

 

Aprl 4 – Hugh Masekela – born in 1939

            – Berry Oakley (Allman Bros) – born 1948

 

  

Shakin’ All Over – Chad Allan & The Expressions (5/65; #22 – this group would eventually morph into The Guess Who, hoping to suggest to record buyers that they were a British Invasion band in disguise. This cool cover of the 1960 hit by Johnny Kidd & The Pirates would reach #1 in Canada, but Chad would soon leave the fold.)

 

 

*  Question – Moody Blues (5/70; #21 – Graeme Edge played drums on all of the records, and this one goes out at the suggestion of David from Vancouver. It’s one of three songs we hear tonight asking questions about peace and love and war.)

 

 

Badge – Cream (4/69; #60 – co-written by guitarist Eric Clapton and his friend George Harrison, this one inexplicably only reached #60 on the Billboard charts. Clapton had started as a member of John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, then joined the Yardbirds before forming Cream. And he was just getting started….)

 

 

My Favorite Things – Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass (12/68; #45 – this song was pulled from the TJB’s Christmas album, and its B-side would spend three weeks at the top of BB’s Christmas chart. This one and the next song both start with a choir of session singers, and neither ever gets played on Oldies radio these days.)

 

 

 

You Gave Me a Mountain – Frankie Laine (2/69; #24 – Marty Robbins wrote this song and urged Laine to record it. He finally did, and it became his final Top 40 hit in a career that started in 1930. It’s a big sweeping production that tells a tale of some serious hard luck, and others would tell it as well: Elvis, Jim Nabors, Eddie Arnold and Marty Robbins himself, but this was the biggest hit version.)

 

 

It’s Your Thing – Isley Brothers (3/69; #2 Pop, #1 R&B for four weeks – the Isleys had established their own label five years earlier, named for the New Jersey city they were calling home. The label lay dormant while they recorded for the Motown family, but this was the first of many big hits on T-Neck Records, and it was co-written by brother Rudolph.)

 

 

Portrait of My Love – Tokens (4/67; #36 – taking a page from their proteges The Happenings, these guys revisited an older song and put their unique spin on it. It became their biggest hit on Warner Brothers, but they’d soon move over to Buddah Records for their final stretch of hits.)

 

 

Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye – Casinos (1/67; #6 – JD Loudermilk was a prolific writer for artists including Sue Thompson and The Nashville Teens, but this is one of my very favorites of his. Former WVBR jok Tom Preston once told me that – instrumentation aside – this was one of the last great Doo Wop records!)

 

 

Where Are We Going – Marvin Gaye (1973; NR – after the release of his What’s Going On album, Marvin was adrift and not quite sure what to do for a follow-up. He started work on a new album, and soon found himself inspired by matters of a sexual nature. The result would be his Let’s Get It On LP, but this track didn’t fit the concept, and it subsequently sat on the shelf for nearly 20 years. What a loss for the rest of us….until tonight!)

     

 

Superstar – The Carpenters (9/72; #2 for two weeks – this was one of a slew of amazing songs written by Leon Russell. He was a composer, a session musician, an arranger and a singer in his own right, but Karen Carpenter was able to capture all of the sorrow and tragedy that this one held. His co-writer was Bonnie Bramlett, but Karen deserved a cut of the royalties!)

 

 

 

8-9pm

  

I Can Hear Music – Beach Boys (4/69; #24 – most of the band’s songs were written or co-written by Brian Wilson, but this cover of a low-charting Ronettes record was an exception. Jeff Barry was the co-writer with Ellie Greenwich, and the result was a magnificent upgrade from the original.)

 

 

Down in the Boondocks – Billy Joe Royal (7/65; #9 – Billy Joe was an associate of songwriter/performer Joe South, and charted with of three of his songs. This was the most successful, and was a long-time staple in the repertoire of local musician Richie Stearns.)

 

 

Up, Up and Away – Hugh Masekela (12/67; #71 – the South African trumpeter had made quite a splash at the Monterey Pop Festival the previous spring, and his horn was featured in the Byrds’ “So You Wanna Be a Rock ‘n’ Roll Star.” This was HIS take on Jim Webb’s Grammy-winning song, and would soon be followed by his own big #1 “Grazing In The Grass.”)

 

 

Little Old Lady from Pasadena – Jan & Dean (6/64; #3 – J&D had met in their LA-area junior high school and played sports together as well as done some singing together through high school. Signed to Capitol, they soon became friends with Brian Wilson, who was co-writer with Dean on a bunch of their hits, including this one.)

  

Ramblin’ Man – The Allman Brothers Band (8/73; #2 – Duane Allman had died in a motorcycle accident during the recording of the Eat a Peach album. A year later, as the band was working on Brothers & Sisters, bassist Berry Oakley suffered the same fate in a very similar accident. This song was recorded before he’d passed, and was the band’s highest-charting single. Tonight we hear the 45 version, slightly faster than the LP version and with Berry driving the band along relentlessly.)

 

 

*  Love Or Let Me Be Lonely – Friends of Distinction (4/70; #6 Pop, #13 R&B – the LA-based group grew out of a larger ensemble called The Hi-Fi’s that featured several members of what would become The 5^th Dimension. This group never achieved the success of their counterparts, but they did chart three Top 15 hits, and this one goes out from Scottie to Peggy.)

 

 

*  The Boys Are Back in Town – Thin Lizzy (4/76; #12 – an old buddy pointed out that guitarist Gary Moore also had a birthday today, and that the Irish band’s biggest hit was released in April. I dug it up, cranked it up in the studio monitors, and the place was jumpin’!)

 

 

Time of the Season – The Zombies (4/69; #3 – this record was peaking for the second week on this date at #3, and the band wasn’t even together anymore! Date Records pulled it from their 1967 Odyssey & Oracle LP after they’d gone their separate ways, and it slowly bubbled around before it suddenly caught on like wildfire. Lead singer Colin Blunstone had left for a solo career and the keyboardist had formed Argent, but they would reunite several times over the course of fifty years and left behind a short but spectacular legacy.)

 

 

45 Corner:  Ooh Child – Valerie Carter (4/77; #103 – this song had been a hit for the 5 Stairsteps in 1970, but Valerie Carter dusted it off and breathed new life into it. As a session singer she’d backed up many luminaries, and a number of them returned the favor here. The Earth Wind & Fire horns are here, along with bassist Verdine White. Meanwhile, background vocalists include EWF’s Maurice White, Deniece Williams and Linda Ronstadt AND Jackson Browne plays guitar, as does Lowell George from Little Feat! The critics loved it, but not many people heard it.)

 

 

Kiss Me Goodbye – Petula Clark (3/68; #15 – she’d first arrived on these shores with 1965’s “Downtown,” and quietly became a mainstay on the charts. This gorgeous ballad was her final Top 20 hit, and one of her few singles not written by Tony Hatch.)

 

 

Only the Strong Survive – Jerry Butler (4/69; #4 Pop, #1 R&B for two weeks – after a decade-long partnership with Curtis Mayfield, Jerry turned to Philadelphia hit-makers Gamble & Huff to jumpstart his career. The combination was undeniably successful, and this became one of his signature songs. Tonight we hear the punchy mono version.)

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

Trivia Answer

 

 

Can’t Buy Me Love (Capitol)

Twist & Shout (Tollie)

She Loves You (Swan)

I Want to Hold Your Hand (Capitol)

Please Please Me (Vee Jay)

 

Congratulations to Prudie from Cortland, for correctly answering the question and winning a pair of movie passes to Cinemapolis!

 

 

 

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 (4/11/26):  Jan Hunsinger with a spotlight on Seventies Soul Hits

 

 

 

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!