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: 5/08/2021
Host: JR
Feature: What's in a Name?
Playlist
·yellow song titles are YouTube links
·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
6pm - 7pm
Bob And Earl - Harlem Shuffle - 1966
Bob Dylan - Maggie's Farm - 1966 - From Blonde On Blonde, this was not released as a single in the U.S.; this is the Dutch 45.
Bob Crewe Generation-Music To Watch Girls By - 1966 - Prolific songwriter/producer. Click here to see his credits.
Bob Lind - Elusive Butterfly - 1966
Bob Seger - Shame On The Moon - 1982 - Piano solo by the venerable Bill Payne (Little Feat), one of my favorites!
Bobbie Gentry - Ode To Billie Joe - 1967 - This feature could have been called "Riffin' on Robert" but for...
Bobby Bare - Detroit City - 1963
Bobby Darin - You're The Reason I'm Living - 1963
Bobby Bloom - Montego Bay - 1970
Bobby Fuller Four - Let Her Dance - 1966
Bobby Fuller - A Name Like Watermelon - 1971 - This is the "other" Bobby Fuller. Song written by Dennis Linde, who also
wrote "Burnin' Love" and "Goodbye Earl".
Bobby Vee - Rubber Ball - 1961
Bobby Vinton - Roses Are Red (My Love) - 1962
Bobby Sherman - Little Woman - 1969
Bobby Womack - Sweet Caroline (Good Times Never Seemed So Good) - 1972
Hope ya figured out the question!
7pm - 8pm
Birthday Calendar
May 2 - Engelbert Humperdinck (Arnold Dorsey)- 83
Lesley Gore - 1946
Lou Gramm - (Foreigner) - 69
May 3 - Frankie Valli - 85
Mary Hopkin - 69
James Brown - 1933
Pete Seeger - 1919
May 5 - Tammy Wynette - 1942
Johnny Taylor - 1938
May 6 - Bob Seger - 74
May 7 - Jimmy Ruffin - 1936
May 8 - Philip Bailey (EW&F) - 68
Eric Hilliard Nelson - 1940
Stood Up - Ricky Nelson - 1957
Easy Lover - Philip Bailey & Phil Collins - 1985
What Becomes of the Brokenhearted - Jimmy Ruffin - 1966 - Brother of Temptation David, he had a few hits for Motown, this being the highest charting at #7.
Disco Lady [45 edit] - Johnnie Taylor - 1976 - First single certified Platinum (sales of one million copies) by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America)!
Your Good Girl's Gonna Go Bad - Tammy Wynette - 1967 - #3
on the BB Hot Country Singles Chart.
Where Have All the Flowers Gone - Kingston Trio - 1961 - Written
and released by Pete Seeger in 1955
.
Walk Like A Man - The Four Seasons - 1963 -
co-written by Bob Crewe! Check out this clip
from Hawaii Five-0 featuring Frankie and Carol
Burnett...
Living In America - James Brown - 1985 - From Rocky IV
California Nights - Lesley Gore - 1967 - Co-written
by the late Marvin Hamlisch (The Sting) and produced
by Bob Crewe (there he is again!)
I Want To Know What Love Is - Foreigner - 1984 - A memorable video with The New Jersey Mass Choir and Jennifer Hudson.
Knock Knock Who's There - Mary Hopkin - 1970
Release Me - Engelbert Humperdinck - 1967 - Written and
originally released in 1949 by Eddie "Piano" Miller.
Before we continue with Rockin' Remnants, a moment to remember
songwriter/producer Tommy West, who passed away this week.
West, real name Thomas Picardo, Jr., was probably best known
for his work with Jim Croce, but he was also a member of the
Buchanan Brothers and other musical endeavors. Click here to
read his full bio.
G.T.O. - Ronny & Daytonas - 1964
Little Willy -Sweet - 1973
Best Of Both Worlds - Robert Palmer -1978
Anyway Anyhow Anywhere - The Who - 1965, dnc - Like many early Who singles this was totally ignored by American radio programmers.
Dead Flowers -Rolling Stones - 1971 - Off Sticky Fingers and never released as a U.S. single, but here is the European Radio Promo!
Something's Wrong With Me -Austin Roberts - 1972
It Don't Matter To Me - Bread - 1972 - David Gates assassinated English grammar with this and "Baby I'm-A-Want You". 😄
Easy As Pie - Billy "Crash: Craddock - 1975
Lovely To See You - Moody Blues - 1969
Hi-De-Ho - Blood, Sweat & Tears - 1970 - Goffin and King originally titled this "That Old Sweet Roll" and it's still in the lyric.
Nature's Way - Spirit - 1971
Baby Hold On - Eddie Money - 1978
Love Stinks - J. Geils Band - 1980
Games Without Frontiers - Peter Gabriel - 1982 - The French lyric, "Jeux Sans Frontieres" was sometimes misinterpreted as "She's so funky, yeah". Check it out:
Comes a Time - Neil Young - 1978
Mother - Pink Floyd - 1979 - Off The Wall, co-lead vocals by Roger Waters and David Gilmour.
CLOSING THEME: Sleepwalk – Santo & Johnny (1959, #1 for two weeks)
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: 5/1/2021
Host: John Simon
Feature: First Of May
It's
a beautiful day for a radio show! I'm on tonight from 6-9 with no real
theme, but today's sunshine and blue skies are an inspiration for my
kick-off.
We'll open with a couple of songs from May 1, 1969
It's 93.5 on your FM dial, or streaming at wvbr.com. Come on over - it'll be a party!
Rock ‘n’ Roll
Trivia
Submitted by John Rudan: What's the only charting Bee Gees single with no harmony vocals?
(Scroll to the bottom for the answer)
Playlist
·yellow song titles are
YouTube links
·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)
First of May - Bee Gees (5/69; #37 - seven out of their first nine singles went Top Twenty; this one signaled the beginning of their decline until they'd reinvent themselves as a falsetto-voiced funky dance band, and become the biggest thing in Pop music for about the next eight years!)
Good Morning Starshine - Oliver (5/69; #3 for two weeks - the Off-Broadway 'Tribal Love-Rock Musical' was a counter-cultural smash, and yielded a string of hit singles for artists including the 5th Dimension, The Cowsills, Three Dog Night, Carla Thomas and even The Happenings. Strawberry Alarm Clock had also recorded this one, but Oliver scored the big hit!)
She Lets Her Hair Down (Early In the Morning) - Tokens (12/69; #61 - this one began as a shampoo commercial jingle and three versions were released on the same date: Gene Pitney on the Jubilee label, Don Young on Bang! and this one on the Buddah label. The Tokens' version was the most successful of the three. Listener Tom commented that this is a very underrated record. I agree.)
My Girl - Temptations (3/65; #1 Pop, #1 R&B for six weeks - Smokey wrote it, David Ruffin sang lead and The Temptations had their first #1 hit. "When it's cold outside I've got the month of May!")
Every Kinda People - Robert Palmer (3/78; #16 - is it just me, or do you think that Robert Palmer was heavily influenced by Marvin Gaye'sWhat's Goin' On album???)
Soldier Boy - Shirelles (5/62; #1 for three weeks - this Girl Group classic was the #1 record on this date in 1962. It appeared on the Scepter Records label, and there is unsubstantiated speculation that Duane Eddy played the guitar break that makes up the entire second verse. We'll hear from him officially during the Birthday Calendar.)
Young World - Ricky Nelson (4/62; #5 - Ricky virtually grew up in front of a television audience: The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet ran from 1952-1966, and frequently featured his latest record. Even without that advantage, he cut some great singles - and his guitar-playing buddy James Burton made each of them better!)
Mountain of Love - Harold Dorman (2/60; #21 Pop, #7 R&B - this record was going nowhere until the folks at Rita Records added strings and backing vocals, which kicked it into overdrive. Tonight we hear first-time stereo from the folks at Eric Records.)
* Sixteen Candles - The Crests (11/58; #2 for two weeks - listener George dedicates this one to his granddaughter Kaya, turning 16 this coming Wednesday. Lead singer Johnny Maestro would later form the Brooklyn Bridge and continue recording into the Seventies.)
* Itchycoo Park - Small Faces (11/67; #16 - Steve Marriott wrote this trippy little ditty, and Scottie asked us to play it for his Art group, "The Honey Hive Crew.")
I Wish It Would Rain - Temptations (1/68; #4 Pop, #1 R&B for three weeks - the classic Temptations line-up of David Ruffin, Eddie Kendrick, Paul Williams, Melvin Franklin and Otis Williams, with "the Funk Brothers" providing instrumental support and production from songwriter Norman Whitfield = perfection.)
* 59th Street Bridge Song - Simon & Garfunkel (4/67; dnc - this was tucked on the B-side of At The Zoo, and it was this B-side that was featured in the film Monterey Pop below. When S&G passed on releasing it as a single, Harpers Bizarre jumped on the opportunity and it was their biggest hit.)
Everything That Touches You - Association (2/68; #10 - the last big hit for this very large group was loaded with harmonies and catchy hooks and one of the coolest Joe Osborn bass lines ever!)
* Soft and Sweet - Continentals (2/57; dnc - listener Tom has been married to "Saint Karen" for a long, long time - he calls her "a saint" because she's put up with him for all these years. It's her birthday this coming week and he requested this cool Doo Wop ditty in her honor. From Brooklyn, NY and on the Whirlin' Disc label: it's The Continentals!)
* May I - Bill Deal & The Rhondells (1/69; #39 - two separate listeners thought of this one when they heard that I was doing "the first of May" as a loose theme. If you look at it in print, "May I" looks an awful lot like May 1. And if you think The Association is a "big band," check out these guys from Portsmouth, VA.)
* I've Been Lonely Too Long - Young Rascals (2/67; #16 - John from Freeville called, wanting to "hear something from the best band that ever came out of New Jersey!" Was it the E Street Band? The 4 Seasons? The Asbury Jukes??? Nope, he went with these guys - and I just may have to agree with him. Tonight we hear the unedited 3+ minute version of one of their best records.)
7-8pm
Birthday Calendar
April 25 – Stu Cook (CCR) – age 76
– Mike Brown (Left Banke) – born in 1949
April 26 – Duane Eddy – age 83
April 27 – Pete Ham (Badfinger) – born in 1947
– Cuba Gooding, Sr. (Main Ingredient) – born 1944
April 28 – Fantastic Johnny "C" – age 78
April 29 – Tommy James(Shondells) – age 74
– Tammi Terrell – born in 1945
– Bob Miranda (Happenings) – age 79
– April Stevens – age 85
– Willie Nelson – age 88
April 30 – Bobby Vee – born in 1943
May 1 – Sonny James – born in 1928
– Judy Collins – age 82
– Rita Coolidge – age 76
Lonely Boy, Lonely Guitar - Duane Eddy & Rebels (5/63; #82 - he's best known as the King of the Twangy Guitar. I had fully intended to play a different song, but I messed up. That said, this is a great example of the Duane Eddy sound. Those are Darlene Love's Blossoms on background vocals.)
Lodi - Creedence Clearwater Revival (5/69; #52 - these guys were the hottest singles band in the world that year, with four consecutive Top Three records - three of them reaching #2. This was the B-side of Bad Moon Rising, and managed to chart on its own merits as well. The "Lodi" in question is in California, NOT in Central NY.)
She May Call You Up Tonight - Left Banke (6/67; #120 - Mike Brown was the founding member, chief songwriter and piano player for the group. This is the third in his trilogy of songs inspired by the lovely Renee. This should've been a hit!)
Baby Blue - Badfinger (3/72; #14 - Paul McCartney signed the band to the new Apple Records label in 1969, and they were initially written off as "Beatle wannabees." A string of nearly perfect singles showed that that was an unfair disclaimer. This song was produced by Todd Rundgren, and it's a monster.)
Happiness Is Just Around The Bend - Main Ingredient (6/74; #35 Pop, #7 R&B - this was an album track from Brian Auger's Oblivion Express. Cuba Gooding, Sr. kicks it off with his signature spoken-word intro, and the Main Ingredient from Harlem, NY made it their own.)
Got What You Need - Fantastic Johnny "C" (2/68; #56 Pop, #32 R&B - Johnny Corley was raised in South Carolina and worked his way up to Philly, where he cut a series of raucous dance records for the Phil ~ L.A. of Soul label. Backing him up was the studio group called the James Boys, who would later form the nucleus of MFSB.)
Crimson & Clover - Tommy James & The Shondells (2/68; #1 for two weeks - these guys steadily evolved from the days of Hanky Panky to the Pop perfection of I Think We're Alone Now to the trippy psychedelia of Crimson & Clover. Within a year, TJ would also branch out with some solo records as well. This was his biggest hit.)
Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell (4/68; #8 Pop, #1 R&B - Marvin found his musical soulmate in Tammi Terrell, and they found their musical "svengalis" in the writing/production team of Ashford and Simpson. The eternal question here is: which came first, the Coke commercial or this song?)
Why Do Fools Fall In Love - Happenings (4/67; #41 - these guys hailed from Northern New Jersey and discovered that their greatest talent was reinventing older material. This Frankie Lymon classic is a great example: slowed to a dreamy tempo, drenched in strings and harmony, and delivered by the terrific vocalist Bob Miranda.)
The Habit Of Loving You - Nino Tempo & April Stevens (1/67; #149 Cashbox - this brother/sister duo grew up in Niagara Falls, NY. Nino was a horn player and a child actor who eventually became Phil Spector's right-hand man, and it was there that he honed his production skills. This follow-up to their 1966 hit All Strung Out was too similar to its predecessor, and White Whale designated it as a B-side. It did, though, make a bit of noise on the Cashbox chart, and is a stunning example of a "Phil Spector Wall of Sound" production.)
Devil Or Angel - Bobby Vee (8/60; #6 Pop, #22 R&B - Bobby Vee was thrust into the spotlight when his idol Buddy Holly died in a plane crash and the promoters needed the show to go on. Bobby and his group of North Dakota teenagers rose to the occasion and he was soon signed to the Liberty label, where he went on to record a bunch of hits. This one even got airplay on R&B radio!)
I'll Never Find Another You - Sonny James (7/67; #97 Pop, #1 C&W for four weeks - he was dubbed "The Southern Gentleman" by Chet Atkins and had a long list of Country hits, but also scored a bunch of Pop hits in the Sixties and Seventies. Capitol label mates The Seekers had recorded the definitive version of this song, but this is a very tasty version.)
Fever - Rita Coolidge (12/72; #76 - she was dubbed "The Delta Lady" by Leon Russell and was a significant presence on Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour. This cover of Little Willie John's hit just oozes style and class.)
On the Road Again - Willie Nelson (9/80; #20 Pop, #1 C&W - this may have been Willie's first Top Twenty Pop hit, but it was his 62nd charting Country single - and became one of his signature songs. At age 88 he's still recording and writing songs. He's an American treasure.)
Open The Door (Song for Judith) - Judy Collins (12/71; #90 - this recording features a growing chorus of friends and family, along with the tasty guitar licks of Ry Cooder. Judy was most recently in Binghamton, touring with her old beau Stephen Stills - the man who once dubbed her "Sweet Judy Blue Eyes.")
8-9pm
* 8:05 - Moby Grape (7/67; dnc - this ill-fated "supergroup" was unusual in that all five members contributed to writing and singing lead on their own compositions. Columbia Records miscalculated when it released five singles simultaneously from their critically-acclaimed album. Of course, they all cancelled each other out, and none of them charted. It was fun to play "8:05" at 8:05pm, though!)
* Long Long Time - Linda Ronstadt (8/70; #25 - this was Linda's first successful solo single after leaving the Stone Poneys, and was the beginning of her career as a superstar of the Seventies and Eighties. Going out at the request of Gretchen and Kathy, listening in from the road.)
* Pieces Of April - Three Dog Night (11/72; #19 - coming at the suggestion of listener Barbara, who thought that it would fit nicely with our general theme of turning-the-calendar-page. I think that she nailed it.)
Shannon - Henry Gross (2/76; #6 - Henry Gross was a founding member of Sha Na Na, and has the distinction of being the youngest performer to grace the stage of the Woodstock festival back in 1969. He also has the distinction of being a cousin to our listener Abby, tuned in tonight from Virginia!)
Tony Rome - Nancy Sinatra (2/67; #83 - Frank Sinatra got his daughter to sing the theme music for his latest Hollywood film, in which he played a swingin' private eye. It wasn't a big hit, but it had some great marimba and percussion going on!)
With This Ring - The Platters (2/67; #14 - long after the original Platters had faded from the scene, Sonny Turner became the group's lead singer and front man. They signed with Musicor Records in 1966 and had a short string of sizzling platters that allegedly used moonlighting members of Motown's "Funk Brothers" as session players. This was their first and final Top Twenty record since 1960.)
Temma Harbour - Mary Hopkin (2/70; #39 - Paul McCartney had signed young Welsh Folk singer Mary Hopkin to the Apple label and oversaw her first few singles before losing interest. This is another one with some fabulous percussion. It sounds a lot like Paul on bass - and it also has a refrain that includes "sunshine, sunnnn shine," which should satisfy the request of listener Gary in New Jersey. Mickie Most was the producer..)
* Cindy's Birthday - Johnny Crawford (5/62; #8 - Johnny started in showbiz as a Mouseketeer before joining the cast of The Rifleman as Chuck Connors' son Mark. He also cut some pretty nice records back in the day, and this is the highest-charting of them all. Sadly, Johnny Crawford passed away on the 29th after a lengthy illness. R.I.P.)
Crazy Love - Poco (2/79; #17 - as mentioned in JR's post last week, Poco founding member Rusty Young passed away a few weeks ago. He played the pedal steel and sang on a couple of their greatest songs, including this one - a song that he also composed.)
Since I Don't Have You - Skyliners (5/59; #12 Pop, #3 R&B - five white kids from Pittsburgh - led by the soulful Jimmy Beaumont - took this beauty to #3 on the R&B charts. The five of them shared writers' credit, and followed it up with the sublime This I Swear.)
* Taxi - Harry Chapin (3/72; #24 - Harry attended Cornell for a while and did some of his early songwriting here. Taxi was his first charting single, and its success would be surpassed by its sequel - simply titled "Sequel" and released eight years later. In between he'd also top the charts with Cat's In The Cradle, but that's another story for another time.)
She Lets Her Hair Down (Early In The Morning) - Don Young (12/69; #104 Pop - we opened the show with a couple of "morning" tunes, including The Tokens' version of this song. Both records - plus a version by Gene Pitney - were released on the very same week in December of 1969, thus ensuring that none of them would become a big hit. Next month I'll play that third version. You just can't keep a good song down.)
CLOSING
THEME: Sleepwalk – Santo & Johnny (1959, #1 for two weeks)
Trivia Answer
First Of May! If you guessed correctly, you're our winner! You've won a car! Call JR next week on the listener line and ask for his car keys. ;)
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