Playlist for 2/27

T. L. Barrett - Like A Ship 

Jimmy Buffett - Living & Dying In 3/4 Time

Red Clay Strays - Moment of Truth

Larkin Poe - Blood Harmony

Oxford American Ballads Winter Music Issue #123 - Various 

Written In Their Soul: Stax Songwriter Demos - Various (Box Set)

Pushin' Too Hard American Garage Punk 64-67 - Various (Cherry Red Box Set)

Playlist for 2/19

Brittany Howard - What Now

Grandaddy - Blu Wav

Usher - Coming Home

Green Day - Saviors

Charles Wesley Godwin - Family Ties

Amanda Fields - What, When and Without 

Lankum - False Lankum

June (2023 June Carter Cash Documentary)

Greatest Night In Pop (2024 We Are The World Documentary) 

Poll: January 1965 Songs

 January 1965.  I'm 8 months old.  But I count three songs that would turn out to be my favorite songs ever by the artists who recorded them. 

For this latest poll 44 songs were picked to vote on. Listen to this countdown at popgoldradio.com.

"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'", Righteous Brothers : 1
"My Girl", Temptations : 2
"All Day And All Of The Night", Kinks : 3
"Goin' Out Of My Head", Little Anthony & the Imperials : 4
"I Feel Fine", Beatles : 5
"How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)", Marvin Gaye : 6
"She's Not There", Zombies : 7
"Come See About Me", Supremes : 8
"Amen", Impressions : 9
"Keep Searchin' (We'll Follow The Sun)", Del Shannon : 10
"Hold What You've Got", Joe Tex : 11
"Downtown", Petula Clark : 12
"She's A Woman", Beatles : 13
"I'm Into Something Good", Herman's Hermits : 14
"The Boy From New York City", Ad Libs : 15
"Heart Of Stone", Rolling Stones : 16
"I Go To Pieces", Peter & Gordon : 17
"Mr. Lonely", Bobby Vinton : 18
"The Jerk", Larks : 19
"This Diamond Ring", Gary Lewis & the Playboys : 20
"Time Is On My Side", Rolling Stones : 21
"Any Way You Want It", Dave Clark Five : 22
"Love Potion Number Nine", Searchers : 23
"Mountain Of Love", Johnny Rivers : 24
"Tell Her No", Zombies : 25
"Bye Bye Baby (Baby Goodbye)", Four Seasons : 26
"Shake", Sam Cooke : 27
"Give Him A Great Big Kiss", Shangri-Las : 28
"Sha-La-La", Manfred Mann : 29
"Ringo", Lorne Greene : 30
"Too Many Fish In The Sea", Marvelettes : 31
"Let's Lock The Door (And Throw Away The Key)", Jay & the Americans : 32
"The Name Game", Shirley Ellis : 33
"The Wedding", Julie Rogers : 34
"Leader Of The Laundromat", Detergents : 35
"I'll Be There", Gerry & the Pacemakers : 36
"Dear Heart", Andy Williams : 37
"Whenever A Teenager Cries", Reparata & the Delrons : 38
"Dear Heart", Jack Jones : 39
"It's Alright", Adam Faith & the Roulettes : 40
"Don't Forget I Still Love You", Bobbi Martin : 41
"Thou Shalt Not Steal", Dick & Dee Dee : 42
"Willow Weep For Me", Chad & Jeremy : 43
"My Love, Forgive Me (Amore Scumsami)", Robert Goulet : 44

My Latest Appearance on the Rock in Retrospect Podcast (2024 Rock Hall Nominees Reaction)

 Check out my latest appearance on Nick Bambach's Rock in Retrospect podcast.  This time I was on with 3 other guests to discuss the 2024 Rock Hall nominees.  

Rock in Retrospect 2024 Rock Hall Nominee Discussion

Goodbye to My Rolling Stone Magazine Subscription

   My Rolling Stone magazine subscription expired this month.  And I didn't renew it.  Before you shrug your shoulders, I should point out that I'd been a subscriber since May 1979.  The 5/3/79 issue had Richard Pryor on the cover.  I bought it and then got a subscription. I was 15 years old.  But already becoming the music junkie I am today.  For 45 years I kept renewing it.  Before that 1979 issue I either bought random issues or read them at bookstores or libraries.  The year I subscribed, the magazine was at a peak.  Here in the U.S. it's still the most popular music magazine ever.  Even though Jann Wenner has been kicked to the curb nowadays, you can't deny that Rolling Stone was a must read at one point.  But things changed when it went monthly in July 2018.  The cutback from a bi-weekly had to do with declining sales and more importantly the internet.  

  There's no denying that the Rolling Stone had an influence on my tastes in music in my teens.  Its reviews, articles and the acts it championed definitely shaped my listening and buying habits. 

  I might have renewed were it not for the high renewal rates.  $99 for a 12 month magazine? And no digital access?  That's an easy pass for me.  The magazine itself is not bad.  But so short of articles and reviews that it would only take me minutes to skim through.  It seemed that what was in the magazine, despite the digital paywall,  could eventually be found for free online.  Why am I paying $99 a year for something that was easily accessed elsewhere?   The first magazine I ever subscribed to was Billboard.  I was 13 years old.  But a chart junkie at an early age.  And I kept a subscription with that until the late 90's.  Nowadays the magazine is a shell of its former glory.  Hardly any charts in it.  Mostly profiles of artists or music industry types.  

  In case anyone is wondering I still subscribe to print magazines.  The best are the UK ones like Record Collector, Mojo and Uncut.  In the U.S. I'm still onboard with Goldmine, Beatlefan, Shindig, Big Takeover, Ugly Things, No Depression, Endless Summer Quarterly. But that list used to be a lot longer.  Like I said earlier, then the Internet came along and so many print music mags disappeared and went online only.

  So, it's goodbye to Rolling Stone.  When I see people posting pictures of past covers I feel nostalgic.  But as someone once sang, "those days are gone forever". 

RIP Henry Fambrough

  Henry Fambrough was the last original member of the Spinners, one of the greatest R&B vocal groups ever.  He died at the age of 85, but happily lived long enough to see the Spinners finally inducted into the Rock Hall in November 2023.  

  As many who read this blog know I'm a huge Spinners fan.  Was pushing hard for them to get into the Rock Hall last year.  Ecstatic that they got in and even more happy that Henry and John Edwards, who joined the group in 1977, was also able to attend.

  The Spinners were a perfect vocal group that after years of laboring on the Motown label finally hit it big in 1972.  Part of that success was getting Thom Bell, who was a hot Producer in 1972 to work with them on their records.  He produced their classic hits in the 70's and even co-wrote many of their hits.  

  

  Henry didn't get to sing lead very often, but when he did his smooth baritone was a reassuring listen.  His best moment was on 1975's Old School classic "I Don't Want To Lose You" a wonderful ballad that still gets played on many Quiet Storm stations.  His biggest hit as a co-vocalist (with the incredible Philippe Wynne) was on "Ghetto Child" from 1973.  The song peaked at #29 Pop and #4 on the R&B chart. 

  After co-lead singer Bobby Smith died in 2013, Fambrough became the last living original member of the group.  He kept performing with the newest members until early 2023.  Fambrough always expressed his hope that the Spinners would be inducted into the Rock Hall and in 2023 they finally made it.  Along with John Edwards, Fambrough was in attendence at the ceremony in November 2023.  

With Henry's passing the Golden Age of R&B Vocal Groups has lost another special individual. 

Playlist for 2/3

Turnpike Troubadours - A Cat In The Rain 

Vincent Neil Emerson - Golden Crystal Kingdom

Rita Wilson - Duets

Bella White - Among Other Things

P.J. Proby - Presley Style

Gabe Lee - Drink the River

James Brandon Lewis - For Mahalia, With Love

Poll: December 1977 Songs

 December 1977.  First year in Junior High.  Not listening to AM radio as much, thanks to local Top 40 stations now simulcasting on both the FM/AM dials. 

 For this latest poll 38 songs were picked to vote on. Listen to this countdown at popgoldradio.com.

"How Deep Is Your Love", Bee Gees : 1
"Baby Come Back", Player : 2
"(Every Time I Turn Around) Back In Love Again", L.T.D. : 3
"Sentimental Lady", Bob Welch : 4
"Isn't It Time", Babys : 5
"Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue", Crystal Gayle : 6
"Here You Come Again", Dolly Parton : 7
"Just The Way You Are", Billy Joel : 8
"Turn To Stone", Electric Light Orchestra : 9
"Hey Deanie", Shaun Cassidy : 10
"Boogie Nights", Heatwave : 11
"You Make Loving Fun", Fleetwood Mac : 12
"We Just Disagree", Dave Mason : 13
"Come Sail Away", Styx : 14
"Baby, What A Big Surprise", Chicago : 15
"Your Smiling Face", James Taylor : 16
"We Are The Champions", Queen : 17
"Slip Slidin' Away", Paul Simon : 18
"We're All Alone", Rita Coolidge : 19
"Just Remember I Love You", Firefall : 20
"Nobody Does It Better", Carly Simon : 21
"Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)", Chic : 22
"Send In The Clowns", Judy Collins : 23
"Blue Bayou", Linda Ronstadt : 24
"It's So Easy", Linda Ronstadt : 25
"It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me", Barry White : 26
"You're In My Heart (The Final Acclaim)", Rod Stewart : 27
"Native New Yorker", Odyssey : 28
"Short People", Randy Newman : 29
"You Can't Turn Me Off (In The Middle Of Turning Me On)", High Inergy : 30
"Help Is On Its Way", Little River Band : 31
"Swingtown", Steve Miller Band : 32
"Point Of Know Return", Kansas : 33
"She's Not There", Santana : 34
"Gone Too Far", England Dan & John Ford Coley : 35
"You Light Up My Life", Debby Boone : 36
"Heaven On The 7th Floor", Paul Nicholas : 37
"Runaround Sue", Leif Garrett : 38