Yesterday Once More

Given the space rocketing adventures of recent months we thought it timely to present some heavenly songs. This week’s theme of SPACE is heralded in by the Carpenters wonderful cover version of ‘Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft’.  Songs referring to planets include Duran Duran’s first hit single ‘This is Planet Earth’ and ‘Venus’ by Dutch group Shocking Blue.  Pattie Page is wanting to ‘fly [me] to the moon’.

Credence Clearwater Revival’s metaphorical song sees a ‘Bad Moon Rising’ and the group Starbuck is observing the constellations in ‘Moonlight Feels Right’.  References to the sun are exhibited in Fifth Dimension’s the ‘Age of Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In’ (from the musical Hair) and the Beatles ‘Here Comes the Sun’.  Madonna’s self-penned top five hit sees her finding her ‘Lucky Star’, Australian Lonnie Lee sees brightness in the stars and the Steve Miller Band refers to a space cowboy.

 

PLAYLIST

* Carpenters – Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft

* Duran Duran – This is Planet Earth

* Fifth Dimension – Age of Aquarius / Let the Sunshine In

* Madonna – Lucky Star

* Shocking Blue – Venus

* Steve Miller Band – The Joker

* Starbuck – Moonlight Feels Right

* The Beatles – Here Comes the Sun

* Fly Me to the Moon – Pattie Page

* Creedence Clearwater Revival – Bad Moon Rising

* Lonnie Lee – Starlight Starbright

Commemorating this year’s ‘International Day of Peace’ today’s program re-visits the era of the peace and anti-war movement of the late 60s and 70s. This was the era when popular song lyrics became the voices of protest for the first time in history. The era saw legends emerge like Bob Dylan (Masters Of War) and Joan Baez (We Shall Overcome) who became leaders in the peace movement. The era also produced great creativity in song writing of classic songs like Buffy Sainte Marie‘s ‘Universal Soldier” (sung here by Donovan) and Barry McGuire‘s rendition of ‘Eve Of Destruction’ possibly the most nihilistic and pessimistic song ever to make No 1 on the charts. In Australia too, the anti-war/peace movement was strong and we produced our own classics denigrating the Vietnam War such as Johnny Young‘s ‘Smiley” (sung here by Ronnie Burns) and Redgum‘s searing indictment ‘I Was Only 19’.

PLAYLIST

* Masters Of War – Bob Dylan

* Universal Soldier – Donovan

* Give Peace A Chance – John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band

* Smiley – Ronnie Burns

* Eve Of Destruction – Barry McGuire

* Peace Train – Cat Stevens

* I Was Only 19 – Redgum

* Oliver’s Army – Elvis Costello & The Attractions

* We Shall Overcome – Joan Baez

* Arkansas Grass – Axiom

* Good News Week – Hedgehoppers Anonymous

* Fortunate Son – Creedence Clearwater Revival

 

Shirley Ellis’s song The Name Game is the backdrop for this week’s theme with songs portraying people’s names. The playlist includes Axioms’ Samantha, Beach Boys’ Wendy, the Four Pennies’ UK number 1 hit Juliet, Conway Twitty’s upbeat cover of Nat King Cole’s Mona Lisa and a lovely version of Cindy Oh Cindy by Eddie Fisher. The country and western genre is represented by Dolly Parton’s Robert, Sammi Smith’s When Michael Calls, and Col Joye’s Rockin’ Rollin’ Clementine. The Surfaris’ Surfer Joe is riding the waves while the Coasters’Charlie Brown is playing the classroom clown. Boz Scaggs purposely created the name Lido so that he could shuffle through the song.

 

PLAYLIST

* The Name Game – Shirley Ellis

* Mona Lisa – Conway Twitty

* Lido Shuffle – Boz Scaggs

* Cindy Oh Cindy – Eddie Fisher

* Samantha – Axiom

* Robert – Dolly Parton

* Surfer Joe – Surfaris

* (Rockin’ Rollin’) Clementine – Col Joye & the Joy Boys

* Juliet – Four Pennies

* When Michael Calls – Sammi Smith

* Wendy – Beach Boys

* Charlie Brown – Coasters

 

HOPE AND INSPIRATION– In order to uplift your spirits during this time of crisis this week we’re cheering you up with some uplifting and forward-looking songs. Katrina & The Waves set the tone with their bright offering ‘Walking On Sunshine’. This is followed by Elton‘s stoic and defiant ‘I’m Still Standing’. The Righteous Brothers sing their big ballad ‘Soul & Inspiration’ while Aussie singer Linda George, reprises Ruby And The Romantics’ ‘Our Day Will Come’. Popular ‘seventies band Journey exhorts us to ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ while Irish group The Bachelors, echoes a similar sentiment in the quasi – religious song ‘I Believe’.  LGBTIQ+ listeners will remember the AIDS crisis (our last pandemic) and the song of hope ‘That’s What Friends Are For’ from Dionne Warwick and friends. Class is provided by legend Dinah Washington who sings of ‘Trouble In Mind’ but sums up our message ‘I’m blue/But I won’t be blue always/’Cos that sun’s gonna shine in my backdoor sometimes’.

 

PLAYLIST

* Walking On Sunshine – Katrina & The Waves

* I’m Still Standing – Elton John

* That’s What Friends Are For – Dionne Warwick & Friends

* Reach Out And Touch – Diana Ross

* Soul And Inspiration – Righteous Bros

* I Hope I Never – Split Enz

* Our Day Will Come – Linda George

* Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey

* Trouble In Mind – Dinah Washington

* Helplessly Hoping – Crosby Stills & Nash

* I Believe – The Bachelors

* When Will I Be Loved – Linda Ronstadt

LET’S REMEMBER this week applauds the wonderful achievements of Miss Connie Francis and The Yardbirds. Connie is an American pop singer and former actress of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Her popularity had her topping the Billboard Hot 100 musical charts many times as well as recording a number of songs in various European languages. The Yardbirds was an English blues and rock group which had a number of top 40 hits in the mid 1960’s. Exceptional guitarists Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page were band members during various phases of the group’s popularity. Yardbirds, reportedly were instrumental in introducing psychedelic music to the pop charts.

 

PLAYLIST

* For Your Love – Yardbirds

* My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own – Connie Francis

* Louise – Yardbirds

* Malaguena – Connie Francis

* I’m a Man – Yardbirds

* Lipstick on Your Collar – Connie Francis

* Over Under Sideways Down – Yardbirds

* Among My Souvenirs – Connie Francis

* Heartful of Soul – Yardbirds

* Who’s Sorry Now – Connie Francis

* Shape of Things – Yardbirds

* Stupid Cupid – Connie Francis

Homonyms are words that are spelt the same but have different meanings (e.g lie/lie, stamp/stamp). Pop Homonyms are different songs with the same title. Starting the program this week is the song ‘Come A Little Bit Closer’ by American group, Jay & The Americans. Later in the program we play ‘Come A Little Bit Closer by Aussie group, the Delltones (different song). ‘Without You’ is the title of the Nilsson classic and also a catchy song by teen idol, Johnny Tillotson. The Eagles and the Emotions are two groups which sing a song called ‘Best Of My Love’. Internationally famous Aussie band Little River Band perform ‘Lady’ while Kenny Rogers sings his ballad of the same name. Bobby Gentry performed and wrote the quirky ‘I’ll Never Fall In Love Again’ and LGBTIQ+ singer Johnny Ray sings his last hit also titled ‘I’ll Never Fall In Love Again’.

 

PLAYLIST

* Come A Little Bit Closer – Jay & The Americans

* Best Of My Love – Emotions

* Without You – Nilsson

* Lady – Little River Band

* I’ll Never Fall In Love Again – Bobby Gentry

* Baby It’s You – Promises

* Best Of My Love – Eagles

* Lady – Kenny Rogers

* I’ll Never Fall In Love Again – Johnny Ray

* Come A Little Bit Closer – Delltones

* Without You – Johnny Tillotson

* Baby It’s You – Jeff Phillips

This week we try to brighten up the day by presenting an array of great dancing songs.

The theme DANCE STYLES includes the traditional Brazilian Bossa Nova, the Cuban Cha Cha Cha, the old time Waltz and the Tahitian Tamoure. The Beatles present Rock ‘n Roll music, Eric Clapton sings of the Handjive and Johnny Chester explains how to do the Hokey Pokey. Dances like the Hustle, the Twist and the Stomp are fads of their eras, while the song Nutbush City Limits inspired the Nutbush dance and the Rocky Horror Show taught us how to do The Time Warp.

 

PLAYLIST

* The Time Warp – Rocky Horror Show

* Rock N Roll Music – Beatles

* The Hustle – Van McCoy

* Tennessee Waltz – Pattie Page

* Willie & The Hand Jive – Eric Clapton

* The Cha Cha Cha – Bobby Rydell

* Nutbush City Limits – Tina Turner

* Blame It On The Bossa Nova – Eydie Gorme

* The Twist – Chubby Checker

* Tamoure – Bill Justis

* Do the Stomp – The Snowdroppers

* Hokey Pokey – Johnny Chester

I love a sunburnt country/A land of sweeping plains so goes the poem ‘My Country’ by Dorothea McKellar. It provides the context for another showcasing of great Australian talent. Billy Field shot into the charts in the early eighties with four hits including ‘You Weren’t In Love With Me’.  Stalwarts Renee Geyer (Say I Love You), Daddy Cool (Come Back Again) and Olivia Newton-John (Let Me Be There) are also featured. One of the first indigenous singers to perform a top five hit was Lionel Rose (I Thank You) who, as well as winning a World Boxing Title, was also named Australian Of The Year. Two songs which improve more and more with age are Moving Pictures‘ inspirational ‘What About Me?’ and 70s Queen Of Pop Colleen Hewett‘s superb ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’.

 

PLAYLIST

* You Weren’t In Love With Me – Billy Field

* Come Back Again – Daddy Cool

* What About Me? – Moving Pictures

* Say I Love You – Renee Geyer

* I Thank You – Lionel Rose

* If You Leave Me Can I Come To? – Mental As Anything

* Wind Beneath My Wings – Colleen Hewett

* Let Me Be There – Olivia Newton-John

* Boppin’ The Blues – Blackfeather

* Hope – Dave Miller Set

* Goosebumps – Christie Allen

* Something About You Baby – Vibrants

This week we are playing Mind Games with you. All of the songs have something to do with what happens inside the head. The program starts with an old standard from sister group The McGuire Sisters (I’ll Be Seeing You) and finishing with a song written by Buddy Holly (Think It Over) performed by Aussie band, Ol 55. The signature song is John Lennon‘s ‘Mind Games’ from the early seventies. Peter Sarstedt creepily sings ‘I can look inside your head’ in his classic seventies hit ‘Where Do You Go To?’ and Californian group We Five bounce with their catchy ‘You Were On My Mind’. Australia is represented by Little River Band (Reminiscing) and ex pat Lana Cantrell (Gentle On My Mind).

 

PLAYLIST

* I’ll Be Seeing You – McGuire Sisters

* King Of Wishful Thinking – Go West

* Mind Games – John Lennon

* Daydream Believer – Monkees

* Where Do You Go To? – Peter Sarstedt

* Head Over Heels – Tears For Fears

* Reminiscing – Little River Band

* Gentle On My Mind – Lana Cantrell

* You Were On My Mind – We Five

* I Remember You – Frank Ifield

* I Think I’m Gonna Kill Myself – Buddy Knox

* Think It Over – Ol 55

This week the theme of LOST and FOUND embraces songs that refer to being unable to find one’s way, I just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself, Lost in Love, not knowing one’s whereabouts, Little Boy Lost, Lost in France, Lost Girl or something that is no longer in your possession, I’m a Loser Can’t Get Used To Losing You, You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling.

You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine, Baby Now that I Found You, Before My Heart Finds Out and I’ll Never Find Another You refer to the discovery of finding love and the right person.

 

PLAYLIST

* I’ll Never Find Another You – The Seekers

* Little Boy lost – Johnny Ashcroft

* You’ve Lost that Loving Feeling – Righteous Brothers

* Lost in France – Bonnie Tyler

* I just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself – Dusty Springfield

* Lost in Love – Air Supply

* You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine – Lou Rawls

* Baby Now that I Found You – Foundations

* Can’t Get Used to Losing You – Andy Williams

* Before My Heart Finds Out – Gene Cotton

* I’m a Loser – The Beatles

* Lost Girl – The Troggs