Song of the Day: "I'll Be There" by the Spinners

Just because it's so damn good!! It's a tune Retiring Guy never tires of hearing.

Song of the Day: "Cry to Me" by Loleatta Holloway

This song, which I'd never heard until today -- courtesy of Soul Town on Sirius Radio -- made it to only #68 on Billboard's Hot 100.

#99 for week ending 3/15/1975.
(#1 "Black Water" by the Doobie Brothers)

#89 for week ending 3/22/1975. (Star performer)
(#1 "My Eyes Adored You" by Frankie Valli)

#85 for week ending 3/29/1975.
(#1 "Lady Marmalade" by Labelle)

#77 for week ending 4/5/1975.
(#1 "Lovin' You" by Minnie Riperton)

#68 for week ending 4/12/1975.
(#1 "Philadelphia Freedom" by Elton John)

#71 for week ending 4/19/1975.
(#1 "Philadelphia Freedom")

Song of the Day: "Can You See Him" by Batdorf and Rodney

Song of the Day: "Teach Me Tonight" by the DeCastro Sisters

Link to March 29 New York Times obituary, "Cherie DeCastro, Singer with DeCastro Sisters, is Dead at 87".

Oh, what a different world it was back in 1954.

Excerpt:  The sisters made their first recordings on the Tico label with Tito Puente, who had brought them to the Palladium in Manhattan. After Americanizing their sound and signing with Abbott, a country-and-western label, they released “Teach Me Tonight,” a slow, sexy ballad, with lyrics by Sammy Cahn and music by Gene de Paul, backed by a big band.

The record, a throwaway B side to the up-tempo “It’s Love,” caught on with listeners, who thrilled to its risqué lyrics:

Starting with the A B C of it,

Right down to the X Y Z of it,

Help me solve the mys-ter-ee of it,

Teach me tonight.

The song reached No. 2, stayed on the Billboard charts for 20 weeks and inspired cover versions by Jo Stafford and Dinah Washington.

Here's where Retiring Guy lived in 1954.

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112 8th Street North, Great Falls, Montana. The Old Parsonage.

Song of the Day: "Summer Madness" by Kool and the Gang

This song was part of my iPod shuffle this morning, the perfect accompaniment for a walk as the sky begins to lighten in the east.

Thirty-five years ago, Retiring Guy nearly wore out the grooves of this album cut. It's from the most excellent Light of Worlds LP, released in 1974.

Song of the Day: "Tomorrow" by Strawberry Alarm Clock

Strawberry Alarm Clock makes a "guest appearance" on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, episode 1, January 22, 1968. (And the band is still rockin' from the looks of it.)



I love this song, and so does Luxuria Music. They play it frequently.

Though many people may consider Strawberry Alarm Clock to be a one-hit wonder -- their "Incense and Peppermints" spent a week at #1 in late 1967 and is a staple of oldies radio -- "Tomorrow" reached a respectable #23 on Billboard's Hot 100 in early 1968. Though not a museum piece, it's certainly a song of its time but remains extremely listenable.

Lead guitarist Ed King went on to play for Lynyrd Skynyrd. He talks about his musical experiences in this interview with Gary James.

Song of the Day: "Little Sister" by Elvis Presley

Elvis was born on January 8, 1935. He would have been 75 today.



What better reason to listen to my favorite song by The King.

Song of the Day: "Reaching Out" by the Climax Blues Band

Though never reaching the top tier, Climax Blues Band built an extremely loyal following. (Retiring Guy has been a faithful fan for more than 35 years.)

"Reaching Out", from Sense of Direction, a 1974 release, remains my favorite song of theirs. (The album spent 29 weeks on Billboard's Top 200 chart, peaking at #37. The song, most likely, was never released as a single.)

But if you really want to hear the band at its best, check out FM/Live (1973). Though ostensibly one of those obligatory double-live albums that every group but Steely Dan seemed to put out in the1970s, the music is anything but. If you doubt Retiring Guy's word, here's what the 5 reviewers at amazon.com have to say. (All 5 reviewers award the album 5 stars.

"...one of the best live albums ever made, bare none..." (OK, so J. Talsma attended a few too many English classes stoned)

"One Of The Best Just Got Better".

"Perhaps the best LIVE album(s) of all time..."

"A true classic".

"My favorite live album".

Song of the Day: "Soul Serenade" by Willie Mitchell

Willie Mitchell (1928-2010)



"Soul Serenade" spent 15 weeks on Billboard Hot 100 during the spring of 1968, peaking at #23. Mitchell is best known as the producer of all those great Al Green songs from the 1970s.

Song of the Day: "He's Mine" by Alice Wonder Land

Luxuria Music does it again. It's amazing what they can dig up.



And he's mine.
He's so fine.

If you listened to the song, you are correct to assume it wasn't a big hit. "He's Mine" spent 7 weeks on the Hot 100 in the fall of 1963, peaking at #62.


The Class of September 14, 1963
Songs that entered the Hot 100 that week.
Position, title, artist. (Weeks, peak)

67. "Don't Think Twice It's All Right" by Peter, Paul & Mary. (10, 9)
75. "Donna the Prima Donna" by Dion DiMuci. (11, 6)
80. "He's Mine" by Alice Wonder Land. (7, 62)
82. "Teenage Cleopatra" by Tracey Dey. (5, 75)
84. "Enamorada" by Keith Colley. (8, 66)
86. "Blue Bayou" by Roy Orbison. (10, 29). The A side, "Mean Woman Blues", peaked at #5.
87. "Fools Rush In" by Rick Nelson. (13, 12)
91. "Elephant Walk" by Donald Jenkins & the Daylighters. (8, 64)
93. (re-entry) "Your Baby's Gone Surfin'" by Duane Eddy. (2, 93)
94. "Deep Purple" by Nino Tempo and April Stevens. (15, 1)
95. "Down the Aisle" by Patty LaBelle & the Blue Belles (13, 37)
96. "Lonely Drifter" by the O'Jays. (2, 93)
98. (re-entry) "Hear the Bells" by the Tokens. (4, 94)
99. "Mr. Wishing Well" by Nat King Cole. (3, 92)
100. "Your Boyfriend's Back" by Bobby Comstock & the Counts. (2, 98)

Song of the Day: "Mrs. Bluebird" by Eternity's Children

Another gem polished to a bright sheen by Luxuria Music. (You should be listening.)

You can well imagine the Mamas & Papas recording "Mrs. Bluebird", which spent 7 weeks on Billboard's Hot 100 during July and August of 1968, losing what little momentum it had when it reached #69.

Songs of the Day: "Is there a doctor in the house?"

Song of the Day: "Happiness is Just Around the Bend" by Brian Auger's Oblivion Express

I'd like dedicate this song to June 18, 1984.

Song of the Day: "Sad Old Kinda Movie" by Pickettywitch

Leave it to Luxuria Music to scrape the inner walls of the deep recesses of my brain and uncover this little gem. Since Pickettywitch's "Sad Old Kinda Movie" never charted on Billboard's Hot 100, I'm sure I heard the song just a few scattered times.

Close your eyes and it seems as though lead singer Polly Brown is channeling Dionne Warwick.

And leave it youtube to have a video of this song in its vast library.

I love this online world.

Song of the Day: "Empty Pages" by Traffic

Traffic was not a singles band. While 4 of their 12 albums (John Barleycorn Must Die, The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory, and When the Eagle Flies) reached the top 10 on Billboard's Top 200 albums chart, 0nly 4 of their singles found their way onto Billboard's Hot 100 chart.

Traffic's singles (peak position/weeks on chart)

"Paper Sun" (94/1). Yeah, I know, it was a crime.

"Empty Pages" (74/8)

"Gimme Some Lovin'-Part 1" (68/7)

"Rock & Roll Stew-Part 1" (94/2)

Here are the songs that entered Billboard's Hot 100 on September 5, 1970.
Position. Song and artist. (peak position/weeks on chart)

70. "Look What They've Done to my Song Ma" by the New Seekers featuring Eva Graham. (14/12)

81. "Somebody's Been Sleeping" by 100 Proof Aged in Soul. (8/14)

82. "It's Only Make Believe" by Glen Campbell. (10/12)

86. "Indiana Wants Me" by R. Dean Taylor. (5/15). Without a doubt, one of the worst songs to reach the top ten in 1970, if not ever.

88. "Greenwood Mississippi" by Little Richard. (85/5)

93. (Baby) Turn On to Me" by the Impressions. (56/8)

94. "Gypsy Woman" by Brian Hyland. (3/20)

95. "Empty Pages" by Traffic. (74,8)

96. "I Have Learned to Do Without You" by Mavis Staples. (87/4)

99. "Looky Looky (Look at Me Girl)" by the O'Jays. (98/2)

100. "Fire and Rain" by Johnny Rivers and Friends. (94/2)

Song of the Day: "Broken-Hearted Melody" by Sarah Vaughn

Just because it's SUCH a great song.

It spent 19 weeks on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1959, from mid-summer to late fall, peaking at #7.

From the PBS American Masters website. Jazz critic Leonard Feather called her “the most important singer to emerge from the bop era.” Ella Fitzgerald called her the world’s “greatest singing talent.” During the course of a career that spanned nearly fifty years, she was the singer’s singer, influencing everyone from Mel Torme to Anita Baker. She was among the musical elite identified by their first names. She was Sarah, Sassy — the incomparable Sarah Vaughan.

Song of the Day: "Point of No Return" by Gene McDaniels

OK, I've always like this song, more so than "100 Pounds of Clay", which is why it's been stuck in my head the past few days after hearing it played on SIRIUS/XM's the 50's on 5. But this song was released in 1962, you incorrigible chartsters cry out.

Yeah, but musically, according to all forms of radio, the 50s started in 1955 and continued into early 1964, when the Beatles debuted at #45 (National Breakout!) with "I Want to Hold Your Hand". (Chart shown below.)

Less than 3 months laters, they owned the top 5 spots, a unique feat in Hot 100 chart history.

1. Can't Buy Me Love

2. Twist and Shout

3. She Loves You

4. I Want to Hold Your Hand

5. Please Please Me

Song of the Day: "O My Soul" by Big Star

Quite possibly, the best song of the 1970s.

Song of the Day: "Central Park" by Les Dudek

Anyone who's listened to the radio during the past 35+ years has heard Les Dudek, even though his songs on a series of mid-to-late '70s aibums -- Les Dudek, Say No More, and Ghost Town Parade -- received nearly zero airplay. That's because Dudek plays lead guitar on the Allman Brother's "Ramblin' Man", a song that's remained in heavy rotation since the 1973 release of Brothers and Sisters.

Song of the Day: "Sloth" by Fairport Convention

UB freshman housemate Paul Rosen introduced me to Fairport Convention --via Full House -- in booth #3 of the music room in Norton Union in the fall of 1970, within days of the album's release, perhaps. I immediately went out and purchased my own copy, one of the few pieces of vinyl I haven't discarded. The liners notes alone make it worth keeping. (Think Firesign Theater.)

Some call Full House the pinnacle of the folk-rock movement. I agree. One reviewer described "Sloth" as "haunting, moody, dazzling". I would add "powerful", particularly the guitar/violin interplay -- twin solos -- of Richard Thompson and Dave Swarbrick. Trite to say, but it still sends shivers up and down my spine every time I listen to it.

An essential. No other way to state it.