HOW MUSIC CHANGED PART 137-57 – EVERY SINGLE MOTOWN ‘A’ SIDE, PART 57

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Today’s show is full of also-rans, second guesses, and recreations. As things worked at Motown, artists usually tried to follow up a hit with something similar and today’s offerings are chock full of the results (which were often less successful than their inspirational counterparts). Songs include;

1) Stop the War Now – Edwin Starr

2) God Bless Whoever Sent You – The Originals

3) Born to Wander – Rare Earth

4) Holly Holy – Jr. Walker & the All Stars

5) Santa Claus Is Coming to Town – The Jackson 5

6) Way Back Home – The Jazz CrusadersHolly Holy – Jr. Walker & the All StarsH

7) Remember Me – Diana Ross

8) We’ll Have It Made – The Spinners

9) Just Seven Numbers (Can Straighten Out My Life) – The Four Tops

10) Maria (You Were the Only One) – Jimmy Ruffin

11) Can’t Wait to See You – Arthur Adams

ALBUM TRACKS FROM 1979 (PART 1)

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Last week, we took a glance at a few hit singles from the summer of ’79. The songs were incredibly diverse – sometimes great, sometimes flat-out awful (see last week’s playlist to see for yourself). Anyway, playing the singles naturally made me curious about the album tracks of that era, and a bit of research blew me away. There was an abundance of great albums from the summer of ’79, so many that I could never even hope to fit them all in one show, so here is part one. We’ll follow up with parts 2 and 3 (and maybe even 4) in upcoming weeks.

Songs from today’s show include;

1) When Did You Stop Loving Me.... - Marvin Gaye

2) Tragedy - The Bee Gees

3) Rebellious Jukebox - The Fall

4) Green Shirt - Elvis Costello & the Attractions

5) Ain't That a Shame - Cheap Trick

6) Dance the Night Away v- Van Halen

7) Beating Around the Bush - AC/DC

8) Arrow Through Me - Wings

HOW MUSIC CHANGED PART 137-56 – EVERY SINGLE MOTOWN ‘A’ SIDE, PART 56

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In 1970, Motown was a different animal than it was in the heyday of the mid-‘60s, but that didn’t mean that the label was suffering. Sure, a lot of the older acts were waning (Martha & the Vandellas, The Marvelettes), but the Supremes proved that there was life after Diana Ross, and Gladys Knight proved that she was ready for anything. This show has its fair share of misses, but the hits more than make up for it. Besides, most of the non-hits were pretty darn good, despite the public ignorance.

Here’s a list of songs covered in today’s show;

1) As Long As I’ve Got You – Danny Hernandez & the Once

2) Tears of a Clown – Smokey Robinson & the Miracles

3) Heaven Help Us All – Stevie Wonder

4) You Keep Me Hangin’ On -Hugh Masekela

5) It’s a Lonesome Road – Hearts of Stone

6) I Gotta Let You Go – Martha Reeves & the Vandellas

7) Stoned Love – The Supremes

8) If I Were Your Woman – Gladys Knight & the Pips

9) Marionette – The Marvelettes

10) River Deep, Mountain High – The Supremes & the Four Tops

11) Coming Apart – Alan Nicholls

HIT SINGLES FROM THE SUMMER OF '79

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If you were to judge the Summer of ’79 exclusively by its hit singles (as we attempt to do today) you’d think that music was in a slump at that time. After some research, though, I was bowled over by the unbelievable amount of great albums that were released during this very same era. The evidences was so convincing that we’ve decided to dedicate the rest of this summer (or at least the next 3 shows) to album tracks from the Summer of 1979. Meanwhile, here are a few representative singles from that same era;

Shake Your Body Down to the Ground – The Jacksons

In the Navy – Village People

I Want You to Want Me – Cheap Trick

Good Times – Chic

After the Thrill Is Gone – Earth, Wind & Fire

The Devil Went Down to Georgia – The Charlie Daniels Band

Is She Really Going Out with Him? – Joe Jackson

Goodbye Stranger – Supertramp

Dirty White Boy - Foreigner

Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough - Michael Jackson

A FEW SELECTIONS FROM JULY 1969

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Here is another look at some of the great music that originated this month in 1969, 40 years ago. Usually, we require two shows to cover this era, but today, we manage to combine both hit singles and relevant album tracks from July 1969.

Songs include;

1) Reconsider Me – Johnny Adams

2) Honky Tonk Women – The Rolling Stones

3) Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town – Kenny Rogers & the First Edition

4) Polk Salad Annie – Tony Joe White

5) A Boy Named Sue – Johnny Cash

6) Rocket Number Nine – NRBQ (from ‘NRBQ’ debut album)

7) Si Tu Dois Partir – Fairport Convention (from ‘Unhalfbricking’)

8) Who Knows Where the Time Goes - “ “

9) Walk On By – Isaac Hayes (from ‘Hot Buttered Soul’)

HOW MUSIC CHANGED PART 137-55 – EVERY SINGLE MOTOWN ‘A’ SIDE, PART 55

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After a short break (and a show dedicated to the memory of Michael Jackson), we resume our coverage of Motown Records in the Summer of 1970, when the label was becoming somewhat obsessed with the state of Diana Ross’ solo career. A LOT of time, money and effort had gone into establishing Ms. Ross as a ‘household’ name, but things were proving more difficult that expected. Today, we cover that aspect of Motown’s history, along with every other 45-RPM a-side that was released during this time period.

Songs include;

1) I Know I’m Losing You – Rare Earth

2) How You Gonna Keep It (After You Get It) – Blinky

3) An Important Message from Barney Ales

4) Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Diana Ross

5) Young, Gifted & Black – Bob and Marcia

6) Still Water (Love) – The Four Tops

7) Stone Soul Booster – Buzzie

8) I’ll Be There – The Jackson 5

9) Ungena Za Ulimwengu (Untie the World) – The Temptations

10) Stand By Me – David and Jimmy Ruffin

HIT SINGLES FROM JULY 1959

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The Summer of 1959 qualifies as a period of transition in pop music. It was an era when ‘genuine’ rock and roll almost ceased to exist. But the inroads created by rock and roll brought a distinctively new sound to pop music. For example, this was the month that the world heard Ray Charles (and the first time we heard an electric piano as well).

The edge may have been dulled, but there was still plenty of interesting music. Songs featured in today’s show include;

1) Back in the U.S.A. – Chuck Berry

2) Only Sixteen – Sam Cooke

3) What’d I Say (parts 1 and 2) – Ray Charles

4) Sea of Love – Phil Phillips

5) Personality – Lloyd Price

6) Teenager in Love – Dion & the Belmonts

7) From Bobby Sox to Stockings - Frankie Avalon

8) Tallahassee Lassie - Freddie Cannon

9) I’m Just a Lonely Boy – Paul Anka

10) Hushabye – The Mystics

11) Waterloo – Stonewall Jackson

12) Battle of New Orleans – Johnny Horton