Songs have often been vehicles for expressing views about social and political issues. The sixties was a decade of turbulent social and political upheaval and it’s not surprising that many of today’s songs reflect that fact. Three songs have a distinct anti war flavour – starting with Bob Dylan‘s classic Blowin’ In The Wind sung here by the magnificent Joan Baez. Pete Seeger‘s Where Have All The Flowers Gone became an anthem for lost youth. Good News Week by Hedgehoppers Anonymous sums up the state of the world at the time – and could easily apply now. Social issues are presented through Elvis Presley‘s poignant In The Ghetto, Stevie Wonder‘s Grammy award song Living For The City and the legendary Loretta Lynn with her satirical One’s On The Way. LGBTIQ+ favourite Lesley Gore sings the first feminist song You Don’t Own Me.

 

PLAYLIST

* Don’t Sleep In The Subway – Petula Clark

* Blowin’ In the Wind- Joan Baez

* Living For The City – Stevie Wonder

* Girls On The Avenue – Richard Clapton

* Only Love/People Get Ready – Bob Marley

* Where Have All The Flowers Gone – Kingston Trio

* Love Child – The Supremes

* In the Ghetto – Elvis Presley

* One’s On The Way – Loretta Lynn

* You Don’t Own Me – Lesley Gore

* Respect – Aretha Franklin

* Good News Week – Hedgehoppers Anonymous

This week we dip into more great Australian music. Two songs with two strong lead singers are King Harvest‘s Wichita Lineman/By The Time I Get To Phoenix with the wonderful voice of Leo De Castro upfront and Flake‘s This Wheel’s On Fire with the amazing voice of Sharon Sims as the lead. We also pay tribute to the wonderful Judith Durham with The Seekers much loved The Carnival Is Over. The still popular Skyhooks feature one of their big hits Horror Movie while ex-pat Helen Reddy chimes in with (Leave Me Alone) Ruby Red Dress. Other tracks include John Paul Young‘s Yesterday’s Hero and handsome Merv Benton‘s Yield Not To Temptation.

 

PLAYLIST

* Boppin’ The Blues – Blackfeather

* Somewhere Over The Rainbow – John Farnham/Olivia Newton-John

* The Carnival Is Over – The Seekers

* Yesterday’s Hero – John Paul Young

* This Wheel’s On Fire – Flake

* Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress) – Helen Reddy

* Wichita Lineman/By The Time I Get To Phoenix – King Harvest

* Horror Movie – Skyhooks

* Just A Poor Boy – Mike Furber & The Bowery Boys

* You’re My World – Daryl Braithwaite

* Yield Not To Temptation – Merv Benton

* Living In A Child’s Dream – Masters Apprentices

This week under the LET’S REMEMBER theme we salute the following 2 wonderful singers…

Morna Anne Murray born June 20th, 1945 is a retired Canadian singer with albums comprising pop, country, and adult contemporary music have sold over 55 million copies. She was the first Canadian female solo singer to reach # 1 on the U.S. charts and the first to gain a gold record for Snowbird in 1970. She received a Grammy in 1978 for You Needed Me. Anne is often cited as one of the first female Canadian artists who paved the way for other international Canadian artists such as k.d.lang,  Céline Dion, and Shania Twain.

Charles Weedon Westover born December 30th 1934, better known by his stage name Del Shannon, was an American musician, singer and songwriter and was best known for his 1961 #1 hit Runaway. In 1999, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and, during his career, undertook some minor acting roles. Following his death on February 8th, 1990, the TravellingWilburys honoured him by recording a version of Runaway.

 

PLAYLIST

* Daydream Believer – Anne

* Don’t Gild the Lily, Lily – Del

* Danny’s Song – Anne

* Two Kinds of Teardrops – Del

* You Won’t see Me – Anne

* Hey Little Girl – Del

* When I Fall in Love – Anne

* Runaway – Del

* You Needed Me – Anne

* Swiss Maid – Del

* Snowbird – Anne

* So Long Baby – Del

In today’s program we will feature news and songs from two years: 1963 and 1973. For 1963 Rob has selected songs from the top ten songs in Australia for that year (taken from the official Kent Music chart). Mossy presents a selection of songs from 1973. A rare instrumental Pipeline by surfer group The Chantays was the number 5 song in 1963. Other songs to feature are crossover singer Ned Miller with his big hit From A Jack To A King, Bill Justis with his dance number Tamoure and Jimmy Gilmer‘s Sugar Shack. The only Aussie song to reach the top ten was the king of rock n roll, Johnny O’Keefe and Move Baby Move. In 1963 the Beatles held the top two positions with number one I Want To Hold Your Hand and the number two song She Loves You. Mossy’s 1973 selection includes Aussie group Sherbet with Cassandra, Stevie Wonder‘s classic Superstition and Roberta Flack‘s stylish Killing Me Softly.

 

PLAYLIST

* Pipeline – The Chantays

* Long Train Running – Doobie Bros

* Move Baby Move – Johnny O’Keefe

* Superstition – Stevie Wonder

* From A Jack To A King – Ned Miller

* Killing Me Softly – Roberta Flack

* Tamoure – Bill Justis

* My Love – Wings

* Sugar Shack – Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs

* Cassandra – Sherbet

* I Want To Hold your Hand – Beatles

* Half Breed – Cher

This week’s theme has songs titles which focus on DOWN…UNDER.

The British are highly represented with Petula Clark’s 1964 Downtown, a duet with Queen and David Bowie Under Pressure, the rock group Status Quo with  Down Down, the Beatles love song Don’t Let Me Down, Rick Astley’s I’ll Never Let You Down and the Yardbirds’ Over Under Sideways Down.

Normie Rowe’s I Just Don’t Understand, Colleen Hewett’s Headin’ Down the Highway & Down Under from Men at Work comprise the Australian contribution.

Both west and east coasts of the USA are represented with the Californian group Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Down On The Corner and New Jersey’s the Four Seasons’ I’ve Got You Under My Skin and Sweden’s ABBA is Under Attack.

PLAYLIST

* Downtown – Petula Clark

* Down Down – Status Quo

* Under Pressure – Queen / David Bowie

* Under Attack – ABBA

* I’ve Got You Under My Skin – Four Seasons

* I’ll Never Let You Down – Rick Astley

* Down Under – Men at Work

* Headin’ Down the Highway – Colleen Hewett

* Don’t Let me Down – Beatles

* I Just Don’t Understand – Normie Rowe

* Over, Under, Sideways, Down – Yardbirds

* Down on the Corner – CCR

Bandstand was a popular Australian television pop/variety program which screened from 1958 – 1972. Many Australian international stars began on Bandstand such as Helen Reddy (Delta Dawn), Olivia Newton-John (Let’s get Physical), Peter Allen (Tenterfield Saddler) and the Bee Gees (Spicks and Specks). Bandstand’s core of regular performers included Col Joye, Lonnie Lee (I Found A New Love), Little Pattie, Judy Stone and The Delltones (Come A Little Bit Closer) and many others. Included also are The De Kroo brothers with their hit And Her Name Is Scarlet and Executives with (My Aim is to Please You). International artists also featured on the program such as Shirley Bassey (Goldfinger) and Neil Sedaka (Oh Carol).

 

PLAYLIST

* Delta Dawn – Helen Reddy

* Spicks And Specks – Bee Gees

* And Her Name Is Scarlet – De Kroo Bros

* Goldfinger – Shirley Bassey

* Come A Little Bit Closer – Delltones

* Tenterfield Saddler – Peter Allen

* Dream Girl – Bryan Davies

* Let’s Get Physical – Olivia Newton-John

* I Found A New Love – Lonnie Lee

* My Aim Is To Please You – Executives

* A Star Fell From Heaven – Warren Williams

* Oh Carol – Neil Sedaka

This week it’s Liverpool versus London or the Beatles vs Rolling Stones. Both groups started their careers playing covers of blues and rock artists, and then went on to move and groove into their own bent.

Fans and critics have long debated the talents of both bands and the contest, which started when they crossed paths on the music charts shooting them to fame in the early ‘60s, is still being challenged.

Whilst the Beatles only lasted a decade (1960 – 1970) their music is still around. In contrast the longevity of the Rolling Stones sees them still performing after 60 years.

Of those listeners who contacted us, more tended to favour the Liverpool lads.

 

PLAYLIST

* I Saw Her Standing There – Beatles

* Get Off My Cloud – Rolling Stones

* A Day in the Life – Beatles

* Satisfaction – Rolling Stones

* Something – Beatles

* Gimme Shelter – Rolling Stones

* Revolution – Beatles

* The Last Time – Rolling Stones

* Nowhere Man – Beatles

* Time is on My Side – Rolling Stones

* If I Fell – Beatles

* Come On – Rolling Stones

This week it’s Liverpool versus London or the Beatles vs Rolling Stones. Both groups started their careers playing covers of blues and rock artists, and then went on to move and groove into their own bent.

Fans and critics have long debated the talents of both bands and the contest, which started when they crossed paths on the music charts shooting them to fame in the early ‘60s, is still being challenged.

Whilst the Beatles only lasted a decade (1960 – 1970) their music is still around. In contrast the longevity of the Rolling Stones sees them still performing after 60 years.

Of those listeners who contacted us, more tended to favour the Liverpool lads.

 

PLAYLIST

* I Saw Her Standing There – Beatles

* Get Off My Cloud – Rolling Stones

* A Day in the Life – Beatles

* Satisfaction – Rolling Stones

* Something – Beatles

* Gimme Shelter – Rolling Stones

* Revolution – Beatles

* The Last Time – Rolling Stones

* Nowhere Man – Beatles

* Time is on My Side – Rolling Stones

* If I Fell – Beatles

* Come On – Rolling Stones

The line-up for this week’s theme ALONE and LONELY reflects a sense of being or feeling alone or lonely.

The Beatles Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band opens the show. John Farnham laments the loss of someone and suggests that One is the loneliest number. Sarah Brightman presents Anything but Lonely from the musical Aspect of Love. The Bee Gees would have Lonely Days, (and nights) without their woman.

Elvis’s rendition of Are You Lonesome Tonight showcases his beautiful voice and similarly, Karen Carpenter’s version of Neil Sedaka’s Solitaire, is a knockout.

The Four Seasons and Gilbert O’Sullivan refer to being Alone and Alone Again as does Tab Hunter with I’m Alone Because I Love You. Paul McCartney sings Man We Was Lonely,

Bobby Vinton highlights the loneliness of a soldier with Mr Lonely and Roy Orbison aligns himself with other lonely people in Only the Lonely.

 

PLAYLIST

* Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – Beatles

* One is the Loneliest Number – John Farnham

* Anything but Lonely – Sarah Brightman

* Lonely Days – Bee Gees

* Are you Lonesome Tonight – Elvis

* Solitaire – Carpenters

* Alone Again – Gilbert O’Sullivan

* Mr Lonely – Bobby Vinton

* Man We Was Lonely – Paul McCartney

* I’m alone because I Love You – Tab Hunter

* Alone – Four Seasons

* Only The Lonely – Roy Orbison

This week’s program has a more intellectual bent. It presents songs about writing and reading. Love letters figure in four of the songs: Pat Boone’s very popular Love Letters In The Sand and English singer Alison Moyet’s version of the old song Love Letters and The Box Tops with The Letter. Neil Sedaka wants to peep into his girlfriend’s diary in The Diary. The songs about writing are Marty Robbin’s catchy The Story Of My Life’, Barry Manilow’s classic I Write The Songs and a Simon and Garfunkel track from their acclaimed album Bridge over Troubled Water – Why Don’t You Write Me? Deliverers of letters also get a mention in The Carpenters Please Mr Postman and Elvis Presley’s Return To Sender.

PLAYLIST

* Please Mr Postman – The Carpenters

* Love Letters In The Sand – Pat Boone

* Everyday I Write The Book – Elvis Costello

* The Book I Read – Talking Heads

* The Story Of My Life – Marty Robbins

* I Write The Songs – Barry Manilow

* Why Don’t You Write Me? – Simon & Garfunkel

* Paperback Writer – The Beatles

* Love Letters – Alison Moyet

* Return To Sender – Elvis Presley

* The Diary – Neil Sedaka

* The Letter – Box Tops