Snap, Crackle, POP! with Alec Cumming

OK, this Snap Crackle POP! is a DOOZY. For this show, my live in-studio guests (for the first 1 hour and 15 minutes of the 2-hour show, at least) are singer/songwriter/bassist Julia Cumming from Sunflower Bean whose 2026 debut solo album Julia is blowing people away, and legendary film director Edgar Wright who, believe it or not, I do not talk about movies with here at all. Why? Because we are all there to talk about our shared thesis - that 1979 is the best year for music EVER - and we are letting out GEEK. FLAGS. FLY. This is a must listen, people. 

Up The Junction – Squeeze

Lucky Number – Lene Lovich

Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick – Ian Dury & The Blockheads

One Step Beyond – Madness

Ring My Bell – Anita Ward

Regiment – David Byrne & Brian Eno

Beat the Clock – Sparks

Is She Really Going Out With Him? – Joe Jackson

Making Plans for Nigel – XTC

Pop Muzik – M

Dance Away – Roxy Music 

Street Life – Randy Crawford & The Crusaders

I Don’t Like Mondays – The Boomtown Rats 

52 Girls - The B-52s

I Walk a Thin Line – Fleetwood Mac
Kid – The Pretenders

Clampdown – The Clash 

Good Times – Chic (w/ brief excerpt of “Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang)

Swan Lake (Death Disco)/Radio 4 – P.I.L. (partial)

Video Killed the Radio Star – The Buggles

'Nuff Said.

Sigh. This was supposed to be a "Catch a Wave" week fundraiser for WPKN, with the great Dawn Eden Goldstein joining me for the first half and the legendary Rob Silber joining me for the second half. Dawn came up with the idea of playing break-up songs as a theme within the "we need money" theme.

Well, I mean, it was a fundraiser, but we didn't get a single donation during my shift, though. It would do me (and our brilliant radio station!) a tremendous amount of good if you donated to WPKN here in honor of Snap Crackle POP... so: Please?  

---------------------------------------------
Catch A Wave – The Beach Boys

You're Gonna Miss Me – The 13th Floor Elevators
Off and Running – Lesley Gore

Partially Awesome – Edward O'Connell
Alone Again Or – The Damned

Shake Hands and Walk Away Cryin' – Lou Christie
Valentine's Day – Wild Hares

Future Me Hates Me – The Beths
So You Say You Lost Your Baby – Gene Clark

I'm Not Living Here – Sagittarius
The Breakup – Art Garfunkel

All I Know – Art Garfunkel
Bye Bye Love – The Cars

If I Didn't Love You – Squeeze
I Summon You – Spoon

Lovers Who Wander – Dion
Both Sides Now – Judy Collins

Song for Hal – U2

A ? of When – Panda Bear & Sonic Boom

Feelin' So Good (S.K.O.O.B.Y. D.O.O.) – The Archies

Lost & Alone – Aaron Lee Tasjan 

Blowin' Up – Kiwi Jr. 

All This Disaster – Sarah McLachlan

If You Change – Widowspeak  

Pretty In Pink – Psychedelic Furs 

Radio Free Europe (Jackknife Lee 2025 mix) – R.E.M.

Wu-Tang – They Might Be Giants 

Eat at Home – Paul & Linda McCartney 

Momma Gets By – Paul McCartney

It's Over Now – The Beach Boys 

What Is Left to Say – Thundercat (feat. The Lemon Twigs)

2 or 3 – The Lemon Twigs 

Forgotten (Alternate Version) – Neil Diamond

Michigan – Margret Glaspy

Rainbows – Allison Russell 

Real Deal – Endearments

Pink Lemon – Elder Island

Aht Uh Mi Hed – Shuggie Otis

Strawberry Letter 23 – Shuggie Otis

This show was kind of a "memorial 2-fer". First, it was a belated tribute to Memorial Day; Dawn Eden Goldstein and I were going to co-host the Snap Crackle POP! WPKN show on the Memorial Day morning of 5/25/26, but due to a family issue we had to re-run the 1/27/26 Beatles REVOLVER special.

Secondly, this show served as a memorial of sorts to the memory of Cynthia Louise Harden, who passed on 5/26/26 - and yes, that was the family issue. Cynthia was the mother of my amazing daughter Julia Cumming, my partner and co-leader of the '90s pop-rock-rap duo Bite the Wax Godhead, and... my ex-wife. I am still extremely sad and in shock, even as I write this.

I'm not sure I did her memory justice (much less to the brave and women who lost their lives to war) but here it is anyway. I meant well. 

===========================================

The Way We Were / Try to Remember – Gladys Knight 

Reflections of My Life – The Marmalade

Do You Remember Walter? – The Kinks

Remember – John Lennon

Here Today – Paul McCartney   

As You Lie There – Paul McCartney

Soho Square – Kirsty MacColl

Never to Be Forgotten – The Bobby Fuller Four

I’ve Got a Broken Heart – The Lemon Twigs

Till We Meet Again – The Cheepskates

Galveston – Glen Campbell

Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town – Kenny Rogers and the First Edition

Powderfinger (acoustic) – Neil Young 

I Can’t Write Left-Handed (live) – Bill Withers

The Green Fields of France – Dropkick Murphys 

Between the Wars – Billy Bragg

Old World – The Modern Lovers

Rivers of Babylon – The Melodians 

Keep On Movin' – Soul II Soul 

The Captain of Her Heart – Double 

Starlight – Nick Kivlen 

Only Love Can Break Your Heart – Neil Young

This is a repackaging of two live Snap Crackle POPs from March 2nd and 3rd of this year. The lovely and brilliant Eden Dawn Goldstein joins me for the first half.

[All songs performed by Neil Sedaka unless otherwise noted.]

That's When the Music Takes Me

Stupid Cupid – Connie Francis 
The Diary
I Go Ape 
 
One Way Ticket (To the Blues)
Oh! Carol
Oh! Neil – Carole King 
 
Calendar Girl
Breaking Up Is Hard to Do
I Can't Stay Mad at You – Skeeter Davis 
Magic Colors – Lesley Gore
 
When Love Comes Knockin' (At Your Door) – The Monkees

Workin’ on a Groovy Thing
Beautiful You
 
Laughter In the Rain
Bad Blood 
Anywhere You're Gonna Be (Leba's Song)

(Is This the Way To) Amarillo – Tony Christie

I'm a Song, Sing Me

Superbird – Neil Sedaka 

Solitaire – Neil Sedaka

It Hurts to Be in Love – Gene Pitney 

Donna – 10cc

Love Will Keep Us Together – The Captain & Tenille

Puppet Man – The 5th Dimension  

The Hungry Years 

Beginning to Breathe Again 

My guest co-host Dawn Eden Goldstein proposed we do a show based on early '90s UK "twee" music, with an emphasis on the 1991 "The Waaaah! CD", and I quickly agreed... Because Dawn always brings the obscure yet utterly fantastic pop songs to the world of Snap Crackle POP! So get into your pajamas and bring out your kittens and let's (politely) TWEE out! 

Who Loves the Sun – The Velvet Underground
Walking My Cat Named Dog – Norma Tanega
I'd Like to Walk Around in Your Mind - Vashti Bunyan

Fill Your Heart – David Bowie
Think Of Rain – Margo Guryan
Dream Lover – The Paris Sisters

Going Downtown – Pianosaurus
I Don’t Want to Back – Riff Doctors
Flowers Through the Air – Tiny Lights

The Sunday Way of Life – Smalltown Parade
September's Not So Far Away – The Field Mice
Ashlands Road – Strawberry Story
Sunny Tuesday Afternoon – The Dufflecoats

James – Fat Tulips
Perfect Day – Ric Menck
Air – The Owls
Seems So – The Apples in Stereo

Voice In My Head – The Sneetches
I'll Be Gone – Papas Fritas
Disconnect the Dots – Of Montreal

Stop Buying Things – Swan Dive
Walk The Way You Talk – Dionne Warwick

Julia Cumming finally released her long-awaited solo album last Friday, April 24th 2026, and I played a couple of songs from it, as well as other songs that were a part of the inspiration for it, plus other good songs.  

Save It for Later – Eddie Vedder

Best Friend – The English Beat

All This Disaster – Sarah McLachlan

One Stop – Aldous Harding

The Sofa – Wolf Alice

No More Tearstained Makeup – Martha & the Vandellas

All I Do Is Think About You – Tammi Terrel

You'll Never Get to Heaven (If You Break My Heart) – Dionne Warwick 

I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself – Dusty Springfield 

Here You Come Again – Dolly Parton 

Free Man in Paris – Joni Mitchell 

Kites Are Fun – The Free Design

Do It All Again – Julia Cumming

Days We Left Behind – Paul McCartmey 

Baby Don't Go – Ringo Starr

Wantcha Baby – Cryptic Soup

Idiots Delighted – Damfino 

Let Her Dance – The Bobby Fuller Four 

Searching For Heaven –  Swamp Dogg 
 Man Of His Word –  Kashus Culpepper
 Emotional Labor –  Julia Cumming
 Amoureuse –  Véronique Sanson
 Abducted By Love –  The Tall Pines
 Freeing Wheels – Souled American

(Snap Crackle EXTRA!) 

I'd Like To Talk to You – Mark Eric

How She Boogalooed It – The Beach Boys

Teenage News – Syl Sylvain

Feelin' So Good (S.K.O.O.B.Y.–D.O.O.) – The Archies

I Don't Like Hockey No More – The Zamboni

After the Fox – The Hollies feat. Peter Sellers

Dawn Eden Goldstein is a badass. There, I've said it. Both a deeply respected Catholic theologian and pop music historian! I really like when she comes on my morning Snap Crackle POP! shows and I hope we do it again and again. She suggested a tribute/exploration of sorts into the career of British songwriter John Carter, and I was game, and this is what it sounded like. 

Chelsea Morning – Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66

I Wish You Hadn't – Benjamin Morren

She Is Today – Bergen White

Sweet And Tender Romance – The McKinleys 

Lonely Room – The Ivy League 

I Can't Explain – The Who 

Tossing and Turning – The Ivy League 

Can't You Hear My Heartbeat – Herman's Hermits

My World Fell Down – Sagittarius

Beyond the Railroad – The Pen Friend Club 

Annie Almond – The Junipers

Let's Go To San Francisco – The Flower Pot Men

Jangleheart – Novelty Island 

This Whole World – The Beach Boys

Beach Baby – The First Class 

Winchester Cathedral – The New Vaudeville Band

Westchester Hadassah –  Allan Sherman

Paper Trail – Caper Clowns 

In The Beginning – The Autumn Defense 

Little Bird – Famous Groupies

Sadie – Aggie Miller

Yes, that's me and Al Jardine. (And he's a pleasure to talk to.) I talk about meeting him on this radio show, and hearing him and Darian Sahanaja and his brillint Pet Sounds band perform ALL of the tracks from THE BEACH BOYS LOVE YOU live, the night before, which also just happened to be the 49th Anniversary of the album's release (!). Thank you, Al, thank you Darian, and thank you Brian - I am thrilled, honored, and deeply moved. I love this music SO much. 

Let Us Go on This Way – The Beach Boys

Solar System –– The Beach Boys

I Wanna Pick You Up – The Beach Boys
Be Like Him – Darian Sahanaja, Probyn Gregory & The Lemon Twigs (Ronnie D'Addario cover)

2 or 3 – The Lemon Twigs 

Baby, Let's Stick Together – The Paley Brothers

Come On Let's Go – The Ramones & The Paley Brothers 

Black and White – The dBs

Red Lights – The Marbles 

We Deliver – The Miamis

See No Evil – Television 

The Book I Read (CBS/Columbia demo) – Talking Heads 

Lotus Bridge – The Monochrome Set

Why Don't You – Squeeze 

The Crystal Ship – Robyn Hitchcock

Venus in the Zinnia – Aldous Harding (w/ H. Hawkline)

One Thing at a Time – Courtney Barnett 

Idiots Delighted – Damfino

American Obituary – U2

City of Heroes – Billy Bragg

Rust & Wire – Anjimile 

In The Middle of It – Hiss Golden Messenger

The Logical Song – The Philistines Jr.

Diggin’ In the Coal – Leah Blevivs 

Hanging Out to Dry – Florence Road

Come To God – Indigo de Souza 

On yesterday's Snap, Crackle POP! I was delighted to have legendary raconteur and man about town Edward Rogers as a guest as we talked about his splendid new(-ish) album ASTOR PLACE. We talked about the fine art of songwriting, Birmingham homecomings, Sidewalk (sigh) and the Losers Lounge and the never-ending comings and goings of the East Village and htray rock 'n' roll and... well, it was a really fun and informative chat. And Edward's beautiful, deeply felt and finely wrought music really hits home. Cheers to Ed and Melani Rogers for making this happen and for being patient with me! 

I Know a Place – Petula Clark
Move In a Little Closer – Harmony Grass (for Joseph)
Build Me Up Buttercup – The Foundations
Next Plane to London – The Rose Garden
London Life – Anita Harris

My Baby Loves Lovin' – White Plains
You've Got Your Troubles – The Fortunes
My Baby Loves Lovin' - White Plains
Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress – The Hollies 

Romeo – Edward Rogers
Old Town – Phil Lynott 
Tears In My Martini – Edward Rogers
Street Life – Roxy Music

The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead – Edward Rogers, Loser’s Lounge 
Caroline Goodbye – Colin Blunstone
15 Eldon Road – Edward Rogers 
All the Way from Memphis – Mott the Hoople

What You Do to Me – Teenage Fanclub 
I've Got a Broken Heart – The Lemon Twigs 
No Milk Today – Herman’s Hermits
Headline Hustler – 10cc 
The Monsters of Pig Alley – Morrissey 
Long Way to Fall – Bedouine

Oh My Love – John Lennon
Oh Yoko! – John Lennon