October 10, 2026 - GJ - Songs from Z to A by Artist Last Name

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: October 10, 2026

Host:  Gregory James

Feature: Songs Z to A

Birthday Calendar

October 4

Duke Robillard (Fabulous Thunderbirds Pleasure Kings)  78 years old

October 5

Steve Miller   83 years old

Arlene Smith  (Chantels lead vocalist) b. 1941

B.W. Stevenson  b. 1949

October 6

Millie Small  b. 1946

October 7

John Mellencamp   75 years old

October 8

Robert “Kool” Bell  (Kool and the Gang bassist) 76 years old

Fred Cash   (Impressions)  86 years old

Butch Rillera (Redbone drummer)  1945

October 9

Jackson Browne   78 years old

John Entwistle b. 1944

Nona Hendryx  (LaBelle)  82 years old

John Lennon  b. 1940

October 10

David Lee Roth   72 years old

Rock n’ Roll Trivia

In the 6:00 hour I played the version of “California Dreaming” that was first released. Who was the artist?

(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)

She’s Not There    Zombies   1964  #2

Composer and keyboard wizard Rod Argent based the opening lyrics on the title of a John Lee Hooker song called “No One Told Me.

For Your Love    Yardbirds  1965  #6

Brian Augur played harpsichord and Denny Piercy played bongos.

Behind Blue Eyes    The Who   1971  #34

The first song lyric Pete Townshend wrote was “When my fist clenches, crack it open.”

The Night Has a Thousand Eyes  Bobby Vee  1962  #3

Backing instrumentation by the Wrecking Crew, with backing vocals by the Johnny Mann Singers.

Take Me Into Your Arms and Love Me   Undisputed Truth 1971 NR

Backing track by the Funk Brothers. Norman Whitfield created the group to develop his psychedelic soul genre.

*Love Will Keep Us Together   Toni Tennille and Daryl Dragon

Requested by Scottie with love for Peggy. Written by Neil Sedaka who excelled at creating memorable hooks. In the video below, he joins Toni Tennille on vocals.

The Sound of Silence   Simon and Garfunkel    1965  #1 for two weeks

This was the song that landed them a record contract with Columbia. The video below is of their 1981 Central Park concert.

You’ve Lost That Lovin' Feeling  Righteous Brothers 1964  #1 for two weeks  RRHOF

Composer Barry Mann adapted the lyric “I love how your eyes close whenever you kiss me” from his song “I Love How You Love Me” and turned it into “You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips.”

Fresh Air   Quicksilver Messenger Service  1970  #49

It was the group’s most successful single.

The Great Pretender   Platters  1955  #1  RRHOF

Composer Buck Ram claimed to have written the song in 20 minutes in the washroom of the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. 

Love Train   O’Jays   1973  RRHOF Grammy HOF

The record entered the Hot 100 on January 27, 1973, the day the Paris Peace Accords were signed ending the war in Vietnam.

I Can See Clearly Now  Johnny Nash    1972  #1  4 weeks

California Dreamin’   Barry McGuire/Mamas and Papas  DNC

The song was originally recorded with Barry McGuire as lead singer with the Mamas and Papas singing back up.

Sweet Nothin’s    Brenda Lee  1959  #4 H100  #12 RB

Brenda Lee was 14 when she recorded this song.

Stand By Me   Ben E. King   1961  #4 H100  #1 RB

The song uses a chord progression known as the “50’s progression” and has also been called the “Stand by Me” progression.

7:00

Too Hot to Handle   Duke Robillard and the Pleasure Kings  1985  NR

Robillard played Ithaca's original Haunt nightclub in the late 1970s

The Stake   Steve Miller Band   1977  DNC

Norman Buffalo played the harmonica on this track.  

Look In My Eyes     Chantels  1961   #6 RB #14 H100

My Maria    B.W. (Buckwheat) Stevenson   1973  #9

My Boy Lollipop     Millie Small   1964   #2

Small recorded the song when she was 16 years old. This track boosted the status and success of Island Records. 

I Need a Lover    John Mellencamp   1979  #28

At the time of the record’s release, Mellencamp was known as Johnny Cougar.

Too Hot    Kool and the Gang  1979  #3 RB  #5 H100

The track is a departure from the usual good-time party-anthem music of Kool and the Gang. The lyrical narrative acknowledges that the couple needs some anger management.

I’m So Proud   Impressions   1964  #14

This track was part of Curtis Mayfield’s strategy of redefining the Impressions as a supper club act.

I’ve Got to Find the Right Woman    Redbone  1974  NR

Here Come Those Tears Again    Jackson Browne   1977  #23

Bonnie Raitt sang backing vocals and John Hall of Orleans played the guitar solo. In the video below, Rosemary Butler sings harmony and it looks like David Lindley on guitar.

What Can I Do for You?   La Belle   1975   #8 RB  #48 H100

This was the follow up to Lady Marmalade.

My Generation  The Who   1966  #74

John Entwistle’s bass guitar is prominent throughout the track, and his was one of the first bass guitar solos in rock.

#9 Dream   John Lennon  1975  #9

The name “John” heard in the song was whispered by May Pang. Since Lennon and George Harrison were sort of estranged at the time, guitarist Jesse Ed Davis worked to emulate Harrison’s guitar style on the track.

8:00

One Good Man    Janis Joplin  1969  DNC

Mike Bloomfield played guitar on this song written by Janis.

Twist and Shout    Isley Brothers   1962  #17

The Isleys received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.

Little Miss Lover    Jimi Hendrix  1967  NR

From his second album “Axis Bold as Love.”

Can I Get a Witness   Marvin Gaye  1963  #22

Composer Eddie Holland said the song was recorded in one take, with backing vocals by some of the Supremes and Holland-Dozier-Holland themselves. Get ready for the go-go dancers who show up at the 0:55 mark.

Standing in the Shadows of Love   Four Tops  1966  #6 H100 #2 RB

The group began their Motown career recording jazz tunes for the label’s “Workshop Jazz Records” imprint. They also sang backup for the Supremes and Martha and the Vandellas. The Tops made extensive use of the Andantes to provide high pitched harmonies.

September   Earth Wind and Fire  1978  #8 H100  #1 RB

Lyricist Allee Willis once said of the “ba-dee-ya” lyric: “Never let the lyric get in the way of the groove.”

Cherry Cherry    Neil Diamond  1966 #6 

This was Diamond’s first big hit and you can hear producer Ellie Greenwich singing on the chorus (“she got the way to move me”) which she wrote.

Little Egypt   Coasters  1961  #23 H100  #16 RB

The Coasters were the first vocal group inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The carnival barker intro was spoken by tenor Carl Gardner. 

Little Deuce Coupe   1963  #15

B-Side to Surfer Girl” their highest charting B-Side. Lyrics were written by LA radio DJ Roger Christian who co-wrote several other Beach Boys songs.

House of the Rising Sun   Animals  1964 #1 Three weeks

Recorded in one take. Alan Price got sole credit for the arrangement—much to the dismay of the other Animals.

Walk On By   Dionne Warwick  1964  #6 RRHOF

This would have been a B-side if it had not been for radio DJ Murray the K. In the video clip below, she performs choreography during the instrumental interlude.

Your Song     Elton John   1971  #8

The song started life as the B-side of “Take Me to the Pilot,” but radio DJs preferred “Your Song” which became the A-side.

*Every Time I Think of You   The Babys  1979  #13

Close to You     Carpenters  1970  #1  Four weeks

This Bacharach-David song was first recorded in 1963 by actor Richard Chamberlain. The Carpenters’ backing musicians were the Wrecking Crew.

You’ve Got a Friend   Carole King  1971  DNC  RRHOF

The song won the 1972 Grammy for Song of the Year. James Taylor, who had a #1 hit with his version of the song, played guitar on King’s version. In the video below, she gives an incredibly heartfelt rendition.

CLOSING THEME: Sleep Walk – Santo and Johnny (1959, #1 for two weeks)

Trivia Answer

The first artist to release “California Dreaming” was Barry McGuire with the Mamas and Papas singing backing vocals and a harmonica solo instead of a flute solo.

Congratulations to Connie from Berkshire 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

H100 = Billboard Hot 100

RB = Billboard’s chart of rhythm and blues records

RRHOF = Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Grammy HOF = Grammy Hall of Fame

Host October 17, 2026: Jan Hunsinger 

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!