Snap, Crackle, POP! with Alec Cumming

Snowhaustion? These g-ddamn blizzards keep happening on Sunday nights, which means these days that the Monday- and Tuesday- wee hours commute to WPKN's Fairfield Avenue studios in downtown Bridgeport becomes impossible, so I have to pre-record these shows, which often improves the quality of the show (yay!) but it takes me too much damn time to prepare (boo!_ because I fuss over them too much. (Did I write about this about yesterday's show? I'm losing it, people. A mind is a terrible thing.)

This was actually a re-jiggered - and, franky, improved - January 26th show. I think it came out well. My apologies to Steve Di Costanzo for  my forgetting to mention that I was filling in for his RADIO BASE CAMP SHOW, as I will continue to do until April. Enjoy your world travels, Steve, but get back here safely and soonly! 

Cold, Cold, Cold – Little Feat

Blizzard of '77 – Nada Surf

Cold Hands, Warm Heart – Brendan Benson

Snowglobe – Sugar Fight

Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out – Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band

Coldest Winter EVER! – Lewis Black

She’s So Cold – The Rolling Stones

Ice Cold Daydream – Shuggie Otis 

Slip Slidin’ Away – Paul Simon

The Blizzard – Camera Obscura

Cold, Cold Heart – Norah Jones (Hank Williams cover)

Out In the Cold Again – Sam Cooke

Snow – Claudine Longet (Randy Newman cover)

Snowfall – Eisley

Looks Like a Cold, Cold Winter – Ingrid Michaelson

Song for a Winter’s Night – Gordon Lightfoot

Hazy Shade of Winter – Simon & Garfunkel

Avenue – Saint Etienne

The Fox in The Snow – Belle & Sebastian 

Cold Light of Day – Lewisburg

Howlin’ Wind – Graham Parker & The Rumour (R.I.P. & thank you Andrew Bodnar)

Ice Cold Ice – Hüsker Dü

When It Touches You, A Snowflake Dies – Norma Tanega

Soon It Will Be Cold Enough – Emancipator 

It’s a Cold Night for Alligators – Roky Erickson

The Blizzard – Jim Reeves 

Amid the Falling Snow – Enya

The Frozen Man – James Taylor 

Walking On Thin Ice – Yoko Ono

Sometimes in Winter – Blood, Sweat & Tears

(Hey, you guys know that you can friend me on Facebook so you can get the latest info on upcoming SCP broadcasts, right??)

Today was the crazy-ass "Calvin" blizzard day - still happening as I post this - so for this morning it was time for another last-minute Sunday pre-recorded Snap Crackle POP! show for a Monday morning. And yeah, yada yada I like to do these shows live, weather traffic yada yada, and pre-recording is such a pain because I fuss over the shows too much (tho grateful to have an opportunity to delete all my ummms and ahhhs and delete my word-retrieval shenanigans). But this show gets to the point, PLUS I get to play my daughter Julia's first-ever solo single. I'm enjoying the re-listen, especially after last week's live fiascoes. Valhalla, I am coming!

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Cold Rain and Snow (live at the Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY 2/21/1971) – Grateful Dead 

Angel In the Snow – Elliot Smith 

Valley Winter Song – Fountains of 

Cold As Ice – Foreigner 

Hazy Shade of Winter – The Bangles 

Wu Tang – They Might Be Giants

Goodbye Girl – The Shins 

Junior’s Farm (live BBC 2) – Squeeze 

Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five – Paul McCartney and Wings

The Immigrant Song – Led Zeppelin

Snow Blind – Black Sabbath

Heavy Snow – Lightnin’ Hopkins

Cold, Cold Heart – Hank Williams

Hold Steady – Queen Esther 

Headless Heroes – Eugene McDaniels 

My Life – Julia Cumming 

Anyone Who Ever Had a Heart (live) – Wynonna 

So Far Away – Carole King

That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be – Carly Simon

American Obituary – U2

How Much Did You Get for Your Soul? – Lucinda Williams

A Plea – Flea 

The Windows of the World – Dionne Warwick

Winter (Giles Martin 2020 mix) – The Rolling Stones

Frozen Pines – Lord Huron 

White Winter Hymnal – Fleet Foxes

Freeing Wheels – Souled American

Laissez les bons temps rouler! Yes, this is a fundraiser for our dear radio station, but the music is SO GOOD and I had SO MUCH FUN. Christine Ohlman (The Beehive Queen!) and Amy Wachtel (The Night Nurse!) and I had never hung out - heck, I hadn't even met Christine, a legendary and soulful vocalist/performer who fronts NBC's Saturday Night Live, whom I was hoping I could someday meet, until 10 minutes to air. (I was 50 minutes late!!! So sorry ladies.) It was such a pleasure doing this show, and - you know - I really do miss New Orleans. I gotta get back there, tout de suite!!!

Barefootin' – Robert Parker

Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think) – The Specials

504 – Soul Rebels Brass Band 

Meet De Boys On The Battlefront - The Wild Tchoupitoulas
Iko, Iko – The Dixie Cups

Ja Funmi – King Sunny Ade 

79rs Bout to Blow – 79rs Gang

Holy Cow – Lee Dorsey

Let the Four Winds Blow – Toots & The Maytals

Hey Pocky Way – The Neville Brothers

She Put the Hurt on Me – Prince La La

Who Shot the Lala – Oliver Morgan

They All Ask'd for You – The Meters

Party Time – Lee “Scratch” Perry 

Tell It Like It Is – Aaron Neville

You Talk Too Much – Joe Jones

Here Comes the Hotstepper – Ini Kamoze

Time Is On My Side – Irma Thomas

House Of The Rising Sun – Gregory Isaacs

Tell The Truth (Uptown Remix) – Jon Batiste feat. Big Chief Romeo

Lady Marmalade – LaBelle

Trick Bag – Earl King

I'm Gone – Jon Cleary

One Scotch – Admiral Bailey & Chaka Demus

Sophisticated Cissy – The Meters

Ooh Poo Pah Do – Jessie Hill

My People – Cha Wa

Right Place Wrong Time – Dr. John

Life (Is What You Make of It) – Frighty

Ride Your Pony – Lee Dorsey

Say Hey [I Love You] – Michael Franti & Spearhead Feat. Cherine Anderson

Bony Moronie –  Larry Williams

Walking To New Orleans – Fats Domino

Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans? -  Louis Armstrong

As part WPKN's Black History Month celebration, I focus here on the type of music Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff and Thom Bell made - something I'm here calling "Black Orchestral Pop", and what some others would call "Champagne Soul" (although that can be a problematic phrase to the creators themselves). Ironically, this music is such a focus of love and a huge topic for me... it was ridiculous that I dedicated a 2-hour show to it - I only played one Thom Bell song, right at the end. I HAVE TO DO ANOTHER ONE. 

There Goes My Baby – The Drifters
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes – The Platters
I Only Have Eyes For You – The Flamingos
Don't Make Me Over – Dionne Warwick
Make It Easy On Yourself – Jerry Butler

Baby I'm Yours – Barbara Lewis
Any Day Now (My Wild Beautiful Bird) – Chuck Jackson
I Hear a Symphony – The Supremes
Reach Out (I'll Be There) –The Four Tops
My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me) – David Ruffin
Give Me Just a Little More Time – Chairmen of the Board
Stay with Me – Lorraine Ellison

The Last One to Be Loved – Lou Johnson
Goin' Out of My Head – Little Anthony & the Imperials
Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
Someday We'll Be Together – Diana Ross & the Supremes

California Soul – The 5th Dimension
Where Is the Love – Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway (Groovefunkel Extended Remix)
A Song for You – Donny Hathaway
I'm Going Down – Rose Royce

Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me) – The Temptations
Keep On Truckin' (part 1) – Eddie Kendricks

Rainy Night In Georgia – Brook Benton
Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time – The Delfonics

Today’s Snap Crackle POP! was a tribute to the epic production team of drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare. Sly passed away on January 26th 2026 at the age of 73.

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Double Barrel – Dave & Ansell Collins

Right Time – The Mighty Diamonds
Two Sevens Clash – Culture
Get Up Stand Up – Peter Tosh

Sponji Reggae – Black Uhuru
Greetings – Half Pint
Don't Stop the Music – Bits & Pieces

Pull Up to the Bumper – Grace Jones
Padlock (Larry Levan Mix) – Gwen Guthrie

Jokerman – Bob Dylan
So Good, So Right – Joe Cocker
Girls Watching – Ian Dury

Breakdown – Grace Jones
Just Another Night – Mick Jagger
 
Murder She Wrote – Chaka Demus & Pliers
Here Comes the Hotstepper – Ini Kamoze

In tribute to, and in acknowledgement of, the Battle of '26 in wintry Minneapolis. Enclosed photo is by Philip Cheung for The New Yorker.

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Why Can't We Live Together – Timmy Thomas

Streets of Minneapolis – Bruce Springsteen

How Much Did You Get for Your Soul? – Lucinda Williams
Know Your Rights – The Clash
City of Heroes – Billy Bragg
Join Ice – Jesse Welles

It Isn't Nice – Malvina Reynolds
What It Means – Drive-By Truckers
Bradley Manning – Cass McCombs

Come Out You Cowrads ICE – Carsie Blanton
I Hate the Capitalist System – Barbara Dane
Man In Black – Johnny Cash
We Shall Not Be Moved – Mavis Staples
Black Boys on Mopeds – Sinead O'Conner

Minnesota Nazis – NOFX
Who'll Stand With Us? – Dropkick Murphys

(It Takes All Kinds To) Make a World – Gail Ann Dorsey
Everybody Hurts – Al Green
Power to the People – John Lennon
Bring Down the Government – Lindisfarne

Rockin' In The Free World – Neil Young
New World Coming – Mama Cass

I've been doing two "drivetime" 7 - 9 am airshifts lately on WPKN 89.5 FM Bridgeport lately  - my regular Monday morning one and, for a bit, the Tuesday morning slot too, covering for a world-wandering Steve Di Costanzo. I like doing these shows live, as I can announce times and give weather reports and even traffic news if I can find and organize it (which I'm not too good at yet). But I live in Mystic CT these days, and because of the massive Sunday snowstorm, I was asked to pre-record my Monday and Tuesday shows, and...

While I like how the pre-recorded shows come out, I spend too much time on them, trying to make them "perfect", and prepping Monday's "blizzard" show was exhausting. So when I finished that one, I decided I would do a replay of a REVOLVER thing I did at the time the massive (and expensive) REVOLVER box set came out, in fall 2022, using - as its base - a syndicated radio special created by NYC FM radio hero Dan Neer. What you hear here is a greatly expanded 80-minute-ish version of that special, featuring many of the re-mixes and outtakes from the original 1966 sessions, plus interviews with the Beatles themselves and both George and Giles Martin (many from a cool crowdsourced internet-only audio series called "The Beatles Anthology Revisited") plus additional commentary from... Beatle nerd me.

The remaining half-an-hour of the show is a melange of interesting basic tracks, overdubs and pieces from 1969's ABBEY ROAD sessions, plus a John Lennon run-through of "Julia" from 1968's WHITE ALBUM sessions, all intersperesed with soundbites and noises from John, Paul, George and producer George Martin. Not everyone will agree, but for me and (I know) for some of you - this stuff is endlessly fascinating. I listened to the whole shebang this morning on an Amazon Dot and I was shocked - not only at how good the remixes sounded through that little speaker, coming from its tiny compressed WPKN signal - but how much astonishing energy, creativity and brilliance is captured in all those tracks. In 1966, they were more united and ambitious than ever, and they were untouchable.

(Oh - we started off with the new remix of "Free As a Bird", which I think is just fine.)

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Free As a Bird (2025 mix)

Paperback Writer (excerpts from takes 1 & 2 + 2022 mix)
Taxman (2022 mix)
Eleanor Rigby (strings session + partial 2022 mix)
I’m Only Sleeping (Take 2 + Mono mix RM1)
Love You To (Take 7)
Here, There and Everywhere (Take 6)
She Said She Said (Mono mix)

Rain (2022 mix) 

Good Day Sunshine (2022 mix) 
And Your Bird Can Sing (Second version/Take 5 + 2022 mix)
For No One (Take 10 + 2022 mix)
Doctor Robert (Take 7)
I Want To Tell You (Take 4 + partial 2022 mix)
Got To Get You Into My Life (second version + partial 2022 mix)
Tomorrow Never Knows (2022 mix)

The Ballad of John & Yoko (John speech + basic track)

Julia (Paul speech + John rehearsal performances)

Sun King/Mean Mr. Mustard/Her Majesty (medley in progress)

Come Together (George Martin speech + Take 5) 

You Never Give Me Your Money (basic track)

Something (George speech + Take 39 – strings only instrumental)

Ain’t She Sweet (7/24/69 impromptu version)

This Morning’s Backstory: though I always want to do these “Snap Crackle POP!” drivetime programs live, so I can give out weather and traffic (lol) reports, I had to pre-record this one because of the blizzard-y weather, considering that I was snowed as of Sunday evening, the night before the show, way out here in Mystic. 

Why my time announcements may be off here and there: uhhh... it's too esoteric to explain. Plus this is the podcast version, anyways. That said, I do TRY. Take it all with a grain of salt. And then throw that salt on the ground, will ya?

Today’s theme: it’s friggin' COLD. 🥶

Today's picture: my car in the driveway this morning.

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Cold, Cold, Cold – Little Feat

Cold As Ice – Foreigner 

Blizzard of '77 – Nada Surf

Cold Hands, Warm Heart – Brendan Benson

Snowglobe – Sugar Fight

Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out – Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band

Coldest Winter Ever – Lewis Black

She’s So Cold – The Rolling Stones

Ice Cold Daydream – Shuggie Otis 

Slip Slidin’ Away – Paul Simon

The Blizzard – Camera Obscura

Cold Cold Heart – Norah Jones

Out In the Cold Again – Sam Cooke

Snow – Claudine Longet 

Snowfall – Eisley

Looks Like a Cold, Cold Winter – Ingrid Michaelson

Song for a Winter’s Night – Gordon Lightfoot

Hazy Shade of Winter – Simon & Garfunkel

The Fox in The Snow – Belle & Sebastian 

Cold Light of Day – Lewsberg

Howlin’ Wind – Graham Parker & The Rumour

Ice Cold Ice – Hüsker Dü

When It Touches You, A Snowflake Dies – Norma Tanega

Soon It Will Be Cold Enough – Emancipator 

It’s a Cold Night for Alligators – Roky Erikson

The Blizzard – Jim Reeves 

Amid the Falling Snow – Enya

The Frozen Man – James Taylor 

Walking On Thin Ice – Yoko Ono

Sometimes in Winter – Blood, Sweat & Tears 

Comin’ In From the Cold – Bob Marley & The Wailers

I talked a lot about and played some Life In a Blender, a fantasticly creative band from NYC who are coming up to Milford this Friday, January 23rd, 2026. And I also played some music that I'd consider twee, although I don't think that's a bad word. (Google's "AI Overview" is telling me "'Twee' describes something overly cute, sweet, quaint, or sentimental, often in an affected or delicate way, originating from a baby's pronunciation of 'sweet,' and also refers to a subgenre of innocent, simple indie pop music and an aesthetic featuring childlike whimsy, though it can sometimes be used as a mild insult" (cf. SNL's "Bein' Quirky With Zooey Deschanel").

I actually do not consider LIAB "twee". Well, possibly, at moments, but not really. Anyway, this show was a melange of intelligent pop music I like, and I hope you like it too. 

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Something's Gonna Happen – Ronnie Spector
Save It For Later – The English Beat
To Love Somebody – Al Green
How Much I Really Love You – June & The Exit Wounds
The Old Law – Father John Misty

Baby Please Come Home – Bubble
Oh Gilbert (I Need Help) – The Junipers
Snowglobe – Sugar Fight
Vacancy for a Bluebird – Life In a Blender

Mobile Wash Unit – Life In a Blender
The Church of Laundry – Kelley Ryan
I Want You to Give Me Enough Time – Sunflower Bean

Fountains of Bellagio – Life In a Blender
Zoo – Altimeter

Magic Touch – Courtney Marie Adams
Here I Am – Dionne Warwick
Kaze Wo Atsumete – Happy End

Multiply – Dora Jar
My Bar – British Birds

Karate Dentist – Ward White
Until You Come Back to Me – Stevie Wonder
Send It To Zoom! - the cast of Zoom
Memo To My Son – Randy Newman

In a recent interview with the New York Times, President Donald J. Trump said he felt the Civil Rights Movement and its reforms were harmful to white people, who “were very badly treated.” Also, the administration made sure that Martin Luther King Jr. Day - still a national holiday (for now) - would not be a day where people could visit America's national parks for free. Trump did, however, make his own birthday as a day for National Parks free admissions. For Christ's sake. 

I usually steer away from political commentary on the Snap Crackle POP! show, but I wanted to do my part (as infintesimly small as it may be) to celebrate this important American holiday. I am hearing there are more-than-usual MLK Jr. day celebtations happening today, which I'm grateful for. I remember his assasination day and I was so confused by it - why? Just... why? And why are some sh*tty. powerful, hate-filled people trying to erase this day in 2026? 

Happy Birthday, Martin. And thank you for your brilliance and bravery. Our lonely nation (still) turns its eyes to you.

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Happy Birthday – Stevie Wonder
Harvest For the World – The Isley Brothers

Like a Ship (Without a Sail) – Pastor T.L. Barrett and the Youth for Christ Choir
Many Rivers to Cross – Jimmy Cliff
The Harder They Come – Jimmy Cliff
A Change Is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke

This Land Is Your Land – Sharon Jones & The Dap–kings
This World (Is Going Up in Flames) – Charles Bradley & the Menahan Street Band
Tell Me Mr. President – Eugene McDaniels

Impeach The President – The Honey Drippers
Morning Matters – Yazmin Lacey
Warning Sign – Hannah Jagadu

Memory Be a Blade – waterbaby
Hold Steady – Queen Esther

I'm Going Down – Rose Royce
Mississippi Goddam – Nina Simone
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised – Gil Scott–Heron

Inner City Blues – Marvin Gaye
Scripto Labor Strike speech (Atlanta GA, 1964) – Martin Luther King Jr.
Give the People What They Want – PJ Morton, Yola
We Shall Overcome speech (Southern Methodist University, on March 17, 1966) – Martin Luther King Jr.
We Shall Overcome – Mahalia Jackson