Drop-In: Playlist from February 3, 2024

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Upcoming events:

Sat. Nov 23rd, 6pm - 7pm: Drop In Presents: Wind it Up. (More info...)

Wind up the old Victrola and join medson for an hours worth of blues from the 1920’s 30’s and 40’s.

February 3, 2024: TOP 40 RADIO rises again! with WLSClark

Listen to this show:  Pop-up player!

Artist	Track	Album	Label	Year	Format	Comments	Images	New * / Special ***	Approx. start time
	→ "Tommy Smothers was a comic genius and we will mis...					Tommy Smothers was a comic genius and we will miss his humor and veiled sarcasm. Tonight's show dedicated to my dad, W0WYH, heard here at the beginning. without he and my brother's radio/music interests, I would not be involved in either. Another guy made it special for me in the 60's too........another HAM! W9OGY, also known below as.....			0:00:00 (Pop-up)
	→ "Tonight, I am so pleased to have my WLS fave DJ h...					Tonight, I am so pleased to have my WLS fave DJ hero Ron Riley to visit with! You will hear lots of snippets from the dozens of reel to reel tapes--ALL we recorded back in the 60s with these all from Ron's 6:30-9 PM nightly WLS shows I likely missed a few school work projects to hear and record songs from. Ron basically replaced legend Dick Biondi in summer, 1963 at the Big 89 and went on to be Chicago's top rated DJ in the evenings for the next 5 years! That's longer than Biondi himself held that spot! He emulated what it was like to hear great top 40 music of all kinds on radio in the 60's. His voice and delivery and humor were as good as it gets. From local Chicago artists to Brit Invasion to those great American artists--hits and obscure as well as WORLD PREMIERS could always surprise!			0:02:17 (Pop-up)
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	→ "Ron was there with the Beatles onstage introducin...					Ron was there with the Beatles onstage introducing them on September, 5, 1964. By chance, this very week 60 years ago, Ron's photo was on the WLS top 40 survey and was the first week for the fabs "I Want to Hold Your Hand" to reach #1 on the "Big 89" (890 AM). "Ringo Ron Riley" was there for it all! That February, he had contests giving away Beatle wigs to fans, getting group scoops from George's sister who lived in Illinois, and would even get to play a Beatles exclusive of "Roll Over Beethoven" that made Billboard's front page as a mystery track! (View here "Beatles Disk Chi Mystery": https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/60s/1964/Billboard%201964-02-22.pdf 38 Beatles songs were being aired, but Ron had a 39th (via a Canadian 45 release, not available in the US yet). Soon, Ron would have a British top 10 show playing songs most never would hear until years later and pop radio continued to explode on WLS with Ron at the helm. He would have a Batman fan club and guest on the raiders "Happening '68" show as well!			0:05:22 (Pop-up)
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	→ a song								0:09:03 (Pop-up)
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Searchers	Desdemona   → "Desdemona" by "Searchers"		RCA 74-0484	1971		The Searchers were an alltime fave band of the 60's but this "comeback" made the top 10 in Kansas on KLEO when I was growing up.			0:09:18 (Pop-up)
	→ a song								0:10:47 (Pop-up)
Tarney & Spencer	I'm Your Man Rock 'N Roll   → "I'm Your Man Rock 'N Roll" by "Tarney & Spencer"		Private Stock 45,088	1976		Great beginning to a duo that would have great 45s a couple years later. Alan Freed coined that great phrase we use still today!			0:11:17 (Pop-up)
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Cat Stevens	(Remember the Days of the) Old Schoolyard   → "(Remember the Days of the) Old Schoolyard" by "Ca...		A&M 1948	1977		Cat had this great one in summertime a year after the above. From "Izitso," it was one of his last before his name change and stopping of playing music for money (first time). The Lp also included a cool life retrospective song "I Never Wanted to be a Star" with lyrics using his song titles of the past. Schoolyard takes me back to the innocent days of baseball, Charlie Brown, Snoopy and their teacher!			0:14:20 (Pop-up)
Spanky & Our Gang	And She's Mine   → "And She's Mine" by "Spanky & Our Gang"		Mercury 72969	1969		Unfortunately, every CD and LP containing this song is taken from the LP master and has extra stuff at both the start and end. The 45 version here ins stereo only is available on a DJ 45. Just a great tune and top 5 in Lincoln on KLMS that year!			0:17:10 (Pop-up)
Love Affair	Bringing On Back the Good Times   → "Bringing On Back the Good Times" by "Love Affair"		Date 2-1652	1969		This beautiful song, had it been a US hit, could be one that fans could sing along with at sports events like "Build Me Up, Buttercup" or "Sweet Caroline" I think. This great group only had 5 US singles, no hits, yet this classic was top 10 in the "pop music smarter" UK!			0:19:35 (Pop-up)
	→ "American Bandstand RATE-A-RECORD segment. Dick C...					American Bandstand RATE-A-RECORD segment. Dick Clark premiered many hits and misses, but these "kid graders" score by "if it got big, I'd buy it" or "not liking weird sounds" or the "engineer"??? Those last two ratings, oh WOW! I think it's a HIT!			0:22:50 (Pop-up)
The Elevator Operators	On The Ground   → "On The Ground" by "The Elevator Operators"		13 O'Clock 130C-033	2019		I think this EP will be a hit at FMU! And not just because it features a star studded cast of Matt & Mike, Frank, Christina, Stu and Adrienne! It's already got 2 dozen spins on the station. Royalties are POURING in. Dick Clark likely to break it worldwide. If it makes Bunny's playlist: PAYDIRT!!!			0:23:07 (Pop-up)
John Fred & His Playboy Band	Hey, Hey Bunny   → "Hey, Hey Bunny" by "John Fred & His Playboy Band"		Paula 294	1968		Even tho Bunny never plays MY Montanas requests on his 50 shows, I love this one and happy to play for my artificial intelligent DJ buddy! Not everyone knows that the Bunny plays cowbell on this master!			0:26:28 (Pop-up)
December's Children	The Lovin' Things   → "The Lovin' Things" by "December's Children"		World Pacific 77895	1968		This great Artie Schroeck song was covered by many but this was months before the Grass Roots made a hit of it. I loved this version most, tho.			0:28:32 (Pop-up)
Chevrons	Mine Forever More   → "Mine Forever More" by "Chevrons"		Independence 94	1969		Thanks to band member, Greg Fox, for introducing the song I have always called "The BEST song ever to come out of Nebraska!" Besides the close sound to label mates, the UK Montanas, and vocal sounds worthy of the Association, the song remains obscure, with this being the first FMU airplay of it! The band was one of Nebraska's best in the mid and late 60's.			0:31:06 (Pop-up)
Feather	Friends   → "Friends" by "Feather"		White Whale 353	1970		This great harmony laden song reminds of CSN with a harder sound. Always loved this but when it became a hit, they signed with Columbia and re-recorded an inferior version for their lone solo LP. Has only been heard on FMU once--2002.			0:34:20 (Pop-up)
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Busy Signal	Flash and Board of Directors   → "Flash and Board of Directors" by "Busy Signal"		Mala 594	1968		I probably had a dial phone longer than anyone in Lincoln! I finally had to get a push button one when the phone company refused to fix it--TRUE story. I can't dial push button any better than rotary! Yet, always get "busy signals" still! haha. This band performed on the pilot of the Raiders' "Happening '68" show! This, another FMU "world premier" first time on this station! What does the "C.O.N.T.R.O.L manual" call for busy signals??			0:37:30 (Pop-up)
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Stories	I'm Coming Home   → "I'm Coming Home" by "Stories"		Kama Sutra 545	1972		What a great new beginning for this band's initial release led by former Left Banke's Michael Brown's music and Ian Lloyd's vocals! After all the great Banke songs, Michael was only 23 and Ian 25 when this song hit the airwaves! It took a few more 45s before they hit top 10 with "Brother Louie" in 1973. I hope you did not have the volume up to 11 when this started, but remember, Dr. Emmitt Brown warned you! Apparently (and amazingly), this not on FMU since the one time T-Todd played in 2015!			0:41:23 (Pop-up)
Pilot	Library Door   → "Library Door" by "Pilot"		UK Arista 1014 (LP #)	1977		An LP cut? On MY show? Most of you know that Pilot (of "Magic" fame) is one of my alltime fave bands ever. This has that "And I Love her" appeal and from Pilot's fourth and last LP. Amazingly, only their first 2 LPs were released in the states. Their group number changed between 3, 4 and, eventually, only 2 members for this LP. 3 of their Lps produced by Alan Parsons and the other Roy Thomas Baker. Leader David Paton still has a very active website and records as Pilot some still today and has a great new Pilot biography book available at the band website.			0:43:57 (Pop-up)
	→ "NAME IT AND CLAIM IT! contest. Remember when you...					NAME IT AND CLAIM IT! contest. Remember when you waited to try and win a 45 on this AM Top 40 radio contest? Just dial up "Melrose 3855" and be the first to name this record and you WIN the 45! Usually, the winner got a certificate from the station in the mail and what store he or she could pick up their 45 from. The funny thing I found was that you didn't just have to take the one that you won with, but they did not care what 45 you chose. I remember winning "Our World" by Blue Mink from KLMS and choosing some other 45. I DID buy that 45 later, tho. haha			0:47:33 (Pop-up)
Sneakers	Things We Said Today   → "Things We Said Today" by "Sneakers"		Bearsville 49560	1980		Those young Beatles fans could dial those rotary phones pretty fast back in 64! Altho no real info on this band, maybe another Todd group, as on the same label. It was produced at George Martin's AIR studios in the UK! Maybe he heard something he liked in this song? Sneakers certainly did it justice! The "B'S side was the Knicks' "Lies"!!! Didn't you hate hearing "No more calls, we have a winner" after trying to get in to the station 30 times dialing rotary phone?			0:47:50 (Pop-up)
Daughters Of Eve	Just a Little   → "Just a Little" by "Daughters Of Eve"		Unreleased from 1968	1968		Congrats to our "Name it and Claim It" winner: M.W.!! Your 45 is in the mail soon! YES, this band visited Kansas in 1968 as the KLEO Wichita promo mentions. Many of you know this Chicago "all girl" band who had 8 45 sides waxed between 1966-68. One even in the FMU Bunny's regular playlist and my DOE drummer friend, Deb Pomeroy, tells me that their version of "Hey Lover" has become a hit worldwide and they have thousands of followers these days! This track is one of several tracks they recorded back then and their producer/manager Carl Bonafede put out on CD in the 80s. Some great cover versions and includes their 45s in stereo!			0:51:20 (Pop-up)
Jackie and Gayle	That Boy's Gonna Be Mine   → "That Boy's Gonna Be Mine" by "Jackie and Gayle"		Unreleased from 1965	1965		The video is on YouTube for this song taken from the pilot episode of "Where the Action Is" which as far as I know never aired on TV in 1965. J&G were members of the New Christy Minstrels and the pair sang on "Shindig!" as well. A great little pop song that was a Clint Ballard song and B side for Diane Ray ("Please Don't Talk to the Lifeguard" fame), but bthis version has never appeared anywhere that I know of on vinyl or CD.			0:53:15 (Pop-up)
Moya Donnelly	Marvellous Boy   → "Marvellous Boy" by "Moya Donnelly"		Destination 616	1966		Very rare 45 by an obscure artist of whom the arranger, Paul Maguire could only remember that she was Irish. The song was written by Harold Spiro who also co-wrote the Yardbirds' "Little Games" as well as the Searchers song I played earlier, "Desdemona"!! How this got on Chicago's Destination label is beyond me.			0:54:53 (Pop-up)
	→ "Tommy Smothers promo for "Mason Williams' Phonogr...					Tommy Smothers promo for "Mason Williams' Phonograph Record" LP from 1968. Mason was a writer on the show and had the huge hit "Classical Gas" that year. So sad to hear of Tommy's death.			0:57:06 (Pop-up)
	→ "Final message from Ron Riley and a thanks to him ...					Final message from Ron Riley and a thanks to him for being my DJ hero! BTW, the producer of the Ron Riley Documentary on his life tell me it is almost finished editing and going to sound mixer and colorist soon. One of the Wonderful People.......			0:57:34 (Pop-up)
Ellie Greenwich	Come Take My Hand   → "Come Take My Hand" by "Ellie Greenwich"		From a CD of Pineywood Productions			This beautiful Coke jingle is from the two person production team of Ellie Greenwich and Michael Rashkow. In the early 2000's, Michael released two CDs of things the duo produced for Pineywood in the late 60s. This track previously unreleased.			0:57:57 (Pop-up)
	→ "CREDITS and THANK YOU's: My brothers, Ron Riley,...					CREDITS and THANK YOU's: My brothers, Ron Riley, Kevin, Scott, JILL, Greg Shaw, Matt Clarke, Tommy Smothers, Lee Thomas, Deb Pomeroy, and the BUNNY! All radio clippings from the Besch brothers 1960s reel to reel tapings. Thanks to all of you who listened in and support WFMU daily!			0:58:47 (Pop-up)