May 23, 2026 - JS - Late May Back in the Day

  

 

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:  5/23/26

Host:  John Simon

Feature:  Sounds of Late May

  

 

It's graduation weekend and here's a parting gift from one of the student deejays.  

I'm on from 6-9pm tonight with more songs of May from back in the day, a fun birthday calendar, ticket giveaways, weather updates and good company on a rainy evening. Turn up your radio and let's take a trip together! 93.5 on the FM dial. Let music be your umbrella!

  

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)

 

*  Graduation’s Here – Fleetwoods (5/59; #39 – today was graduation day for the Cornell Class of 2026. Graduate Ryan Goldsmith had stopped in to give his family a tour, and his mom asked if she could hop on to wish him and his classmates congratulations. Meanwhile, listener Tom had requested this one. Two birds with one stone!) 

Rain – The Beatles (6/66; #23 – today is the wettest CU graduation in memory, so we turn to The Beatles for comfort. This song was the B-side of the #1 “Paperback Writer,” and is one of the band’s coolest tracks. This is the punchy mono version.)

  

Groovin’ – Rascals (6/67; #1 for four weeks – this song kicks off a mini-set of five songs recorded in NYC. It was in its second week at #2, but Aretha Franklin was about to displace it for two weeks before they’d come back for another two weeks at the top. Both records were on the Atlantic label.)

   

 

On Broadway – The Drifters (5/63; at #37 this week, down from a peak of #9 – this one features a surprise guitar solo from none other than Phil Spector. Rudy Lewis was the lead singer on this one, and Gary Chester played the drums.)

 

 

Hushabye – Mystics (6/59; #20 – they were five Italian kids from Brooklyn who scored big with this one. Later iterations of the group would include Jay Traynor and a young Jerry Landis, aka Paul Simon. Jay would leave to be one of Jay and the Americans, and Paul would go on to become a hall-of-famer.)

  

Sweet Talkin’ Guy – Chiffons (5/66; at #18 this week, headed to #10 – they were a Bronx quartet who had a string of songs with the word “Fine” in the title, and they use the line “he’s so fine” in the backing vocals here. Gary Chester, again, was the drummer.)

 

 

Ronnie – 4 Seasons (5/64; peaking at #6 – their classic line-up could do no wrong at this point, and their move to Phillips Records seemed to be working out just fine. Buddy Saltzman was their go-to studio drummer, and they’d soon be back with #1 sounds of “Rag Doll.”)

        

 

*  Reflections of My Life – Marmalade (4/70; #10 – this is a pretty good graduation day request, in from our guy in Vancouver. They were a Scottish band and this was their first – and biggest – hit here in The States. It’s got a very catchy singalong chorus.)

  

*  Just a Little – Beau Brummels (5/65; at #19, headed to #8 – they were from San Francisco and had selected a name that might lead record buyers to think that they were from Europe – or at least put them in the record bins right next to The Beatles. Their producer was none other than Sylvester “Sly” Stone.)

 

 

*  Armed and Extremely Dangerous – First Choice (4/73; #28 Pop, #11 R&B – the first call for this song came in about a month and a half ago, and I can finally honor the request! They recorded for the Philly Groove label and were backed by MFSB. Disco was not yet fully an established genre, but this one was leading in that direction.)

  

Don’t Pull Your Love – Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds (5/71; debuting at #90, headed to #4 – they were an LA trio that had first started as a touring version of The T-Bones, because the hit “No Matter What Shape” had been recorded by session players and people wanted to hear it “live.” A caller wanted to know if it was true that he’d heard Elvis singing this one. The answer is probably “no”: it was written with Elvis in mind, but he’d passed on it.)

  

*  What Is Life – George Harrison (3/71; #10 – this one was taken from George’s All Things Must Pass LP, and featured an all-star cast, including all of the members of Badfinger AND Derek & The Dominoes, minus Duane Allman. Scottie requested it, and here it is!)

  

All I Have to Do Is Dream – Everly Brothers (5/58; #1 for five weeks and #1 UK for nine weeks – this was one of several songs written by Felice and Boudeleaux Bryant, and is one of the most-recorded songs of the era, ranked by Rolling Stone at #141 in their RS500. Tonight we hear a new stereo remix that reveals the magic of Chet Atkins’ electric guitar figure, which practically acts as a third voice. Sublime!)

 

 

Buy for Me the Rain – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (5/67; peaking at #45 – this was the group’s charting debut, and they’re still going strong. Rain is the operative word for this holiday weekend and this one fits right in!)

 

 

*  It Might As Well Rain ‘Til September – Carole King (8/62; #22 – she was starting to get some traction as a songwriter with her husband Gerry Goffin, but she did release a few singles as a solo artist on the Dimension Records label. This was her first and only real charting single until she hit #1 in 1971 with “It’s Too Late.” That’s when she became known as more than just a prolific writer.)

 

 

 

7-8pm

 

 Birthday Calendar

 

 

May 17 – Taj Mahal – age 84

            – Bill Bruford (Yes) – age 77

            – George Johnson (Bros. Johnson) – 73

  

May 18 – Albert Hammond – age 84

            – Rick Wakeman (Yes) – age 77

            – Big Joe Turner – born in 1911

  

May 19 – Pete Towshend (Who) – age 81

            – Jerry Hyman (B,S&T) – age 79

 

May 20 – Joe Cocker – born in 1944

            – Cher – age 80

            – Susan Cowsill – age 67

 

May 21 – Ronald Isley – age 85

            – Leo Sayer – age 78

  

May 22 – Doug Gray (MTB) – age 78

            – Bernie Taupin – age 76

  

May 23 – Redd Holt (Young-Holt Ltd.) – 1923

            – General Johnson (Chairmen) – 1941

 

Corinne Corinna – Big Joe Turner (5/56; #41 Pop, #2 R&B for two weeks – he was nicknamed “Boss of the Blues” and scored nineteen Top 20 R&B hits for Atlantic Records by 1958. This was his highest-charting crossover hit.)

 

 

Take a Giant Step – Rising Sons (2/66; dnc – this LA-area group included future luminaries Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder, who were signed to Columbia along with fellow southern Californians The Byrds – but they were difficult to categorize and market, and this song sat on the shelf until 1992! It’s a Carole King-Gerry Goffin composition best known as a Monkees song. This version rocks!)

 

 

And You And I (Pt. 1) – Yes (11/72; #42 – drummer Bill Bruford and keyboardist Rick Wakeman both had birthdays this week. This track was edited down from a ten-minute long album track that was broken into four distinct sections. Tonight you hear a scratchy 45 rendition that is a relic of the times.)

  

Strawberry Letter 23 – Brothers Johnson (7/77; #5 Pop, #1 R&B – this one was written by Blues guitarist Shuggie Otis, and caught the ear of guitarist George “Lightning Licks” Johnson. The brothers had a big hit with it, which was very good for Shuggie’s bank account!)

     

 

Brand New Day – Albert Hammond (3/74; dnc – culled from his It Never Rains In Southern California LP, this one was tucked onto the B-side of his mid-charting “I’m a Train” single. It also found its way to a wilderness camp way up in the Adirondack Mountains, where it started many a morning fire circle gathering, often in a medley with some version of “Beautiful Sunday.”)

  

You’ve Made Me So Very Happy – Blood, Sweat & Tears (5/69; #2 for three weeks – Al Kooper had left the group, but trombonist Jerry Hyman was still on-board – and new singer David Clayton-Thomas had been brought in. This had previously been a Motown hit for Brenda Holloway, but it was new to Rock audiences. The only thing that kept it out of the top slot was The 5^th Dimension’s “Aquarius” medley.)

   

 

Delta Lady – Joe Cocker (10/69; #69 – Rita Coolidge was on my birthday calendar on the previous show, where I mentioned her involvement with Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour. Tour bandleader Leon Russell had written this song about her specifically, and Joe added it to the repertoire.)

  

Our Love Was, Is – The Who (1/68; NR – guitarist Pete Townshend was chief writer and mastermind for the group, and he was the creative force behind the concept album The Who Sell Out. The premise was that it was a “pirate radio show” complete with commercials and Radio London jingles. Pete is the lead singer on this one, and you can hear hints of future projects like Tommy and Who’s Next if you listen carefully.)

 

 

The Beat Goes On – Sonny & Cher (2/67; #6 – Wrecking Crew bassist Carol Kaye famously came up with the pulsating bass figure that drives this one-chord song to greatness, despite Sonny’s inane lyrics like “The grocery store’s a super mart, uh-huh” and “electrickly they keep a baseball score!” Tonight we hear the punchy mono mix that pumped through radio and jukebox speakers back in the day.)

  

We Can Fly – The Cowsills (1/68; #21 – the family group from Rhode Island had burst upon the scene with “The Rain, The Park and Other Things” a year prior, with members ranging in age from the 40-year old mom to 8-year old little sister Susan. This bouncy light-as-air song was cut in the mold of The 5^th Dimension’s “Up, Up & Away,” and young Susan sings her little heart out.)

 

 

More Than I Can Say – Leo Sayer (9/80; #2 for five weeks – this is a surprising cover of Bobby Vee’s low-charting B-side from 1962, written by Buddy Holly’s bandmates Jerry Allison and Sunny Curtis. The only thing that kept this version out of the top slot was Kenny Rogers’ ballad “Lady.”)

  

Work to Do – Isley Brothers (10/72; #51 Pop, #11 R&B – many people first heard this song as done by the Average White Band when it appeared as the B-side of their #1 instrumental hit “Pick Up The Pieces,” but it was written by the three brothers from Cincinatti and had been a pretty successful R&B hit for them two years prior. That’s Ronald Isley singing lead.)

 

 

8-9pm

  

24 Hours At A Time – Marshall Tucker Band (3/74; NR – their second studio album was A New Life, and they were beginning to experiment with horns and guest players, but this one was true to their original sound. Doug Gray sang the words, Toy Caldwell played the guitar licks and his brother Tommy Caldwell was the bass man.)

 

 

Tiny Dancer – Elton John (3/72; #41 – Madman Across the Water was chock full of radio-friendly songs, but this one was a stand-out that Rolling Stone ranked at #397 in its list of the 500 greatest songs of the era. It also clocked in at 6:12, which kept it from garnering the radio play it deserved. That led the label to release the radio edit that we hear tonight, which fades at about the 3:45 mark.)

  

Wack Wack – Young Holt Trio (12/66; #40 Pop, #12 R&B – drummer Redd Holt and bassist Eldee Young had parted ways with pianist Ramsey Lewis and recorded this one with piano man Don Walker, calling themselves The Young Holt Trio. They’d later change it to Young-Holt Unlimited and have one more very big hit!)

  

Gimme Just a Little More Time – Chairmen of the Board (1/70; #3 Pop, #8 R&B – writers/producers Holland-Dozier-Holland had left Motown after a contentious series of failed negotiations for better terms, leaving Motown to scramble to fill the void, while also starting their own label and production company. Litigation kept them from putting their own names on their record label, so this one was attributed to “Edythe Wayne,” and featured the unique vocal stylings of journeyman General Johnson. It was one of the first releases for Invictus Records, and continues to get lots of play on the Carolina Beach Music scene in and around Norfolk, VA.)

 

 

The Long and Winding Road – The Beatles (5/23/70, debuting at #35 – how can a record suddenly appear on the Pop chart at #35 out of absolutely nowhere, you ask? Well, it can if you are The Beatles. Three weeks later it would reach the #1 slot and stay there for two weeks. It also has a nice cameo appearance in the 2019 film Yesterday. It’s worth finding and re-watching!)

 

 

Wildfire – Michael Martin Murphey (5/75; #3 for two weeks – a shortened edited version was released as a single, but the full-length LP version is the best way to hear it. A caller confessed that he found this one pretty depressing, but I still remember listening in the car with my then pre-teen daughter who was absolutely mesmerized, and having it lead to a long discussion. Sigh. I miss those days.)

  

*  Strange Brew – Cream (7/67; dnc – an old friend from high school asking to hear some music for singer/bassist Jack Bruce, who’d had a birthday just last week. We went back-and-forth a couple of times, which led to this double-shot that starts with the opening track from Cream’s Disraeli Gears LP. Jack actually doesn’t sing the lead on this one – that’s Eric Clapton – but he sings harmony and adds a great bassline.)

 

 

*  Theme for An Imaginary Western – Mountain (3/70; NR – this was the second track from their breakthrough Climbing! LP, and was co-written by Jack Bruce and Peter Brown. It features bassist Felix Pappalardi on vocals, who happened to be a product of the HS of Music & Art in NYC, where my buddy Jason and I met and became fast friends.)

  

MacArthur Park – Richard Harris (5/68; peaking on this date at #2 – this was the unlikeliest of hit singles, clocking in at over seven minutes long and consisting of four distinctly different musical motifs – AND being sung by a Shakesperean actor, no less! It was written by Jim Webb, and two other artists would later have great success with it as well. Go figure!)

 

 

Don’t You Write Her Off – McGuinn, Clark & Hillman (5/79; #33 – they were three former members of The Byrds who reunited for a one-off album on Capitol Records. John Rudan remembers that album getting lots of airplay when he was first getting involved with WVBR some 47 years ago!)

 

 I'll be back on June 20th. See you then!

 

 

 

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

  

 

Congratulations to Slade from Ithaca, for winning a pair of tix to see Europa at The Hangar Theatre next Friday!

 

 

 

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 (5/30/26):  Kim Vaughan with a mystery theme

  

 

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!