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Lynch riffs on the debut studio album from Matchbox 20 “Yourself or Someone Like You” on the charts in  November of 1996 (3AM / Push / Real World / Long Day). STAFF PICKS: “Big Chair” by Reacharound — Wayne.  “Rewind” by Better than Ezra — Rob.  "When You Love a Woman” by Journey— Clint Barrett.   ENTERTAINMENT TRACK: “Space Jam” by Quad City DJ's (from the motion picture "Space Jam").  

**(NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.)

Wayne riffs on the debut studio album by Jet, Get Born, released in September 2003 (Rollover DJ /Are You Gonna Be My Girl / Get Me Outta Here / Cold Hard Bitch).

STAFF PICKS: Weak and Powerless by A Perfect Circle — Lynch. In Da Club by 50 Cent — (Fan of the Show )Clint Barrett. One Big Holiday by My Morning Jacket — Rob.

INSTRUMENTAL/ENTERTAINMENT/LAUGH TRACK: Main theme from the motion picture Once Upon a Time in Mexico.

Disclaimer: What the Riff?!? is a music commentary and review podcast that highlights rock music through historical context, personal insights, and artist appreciation. We do not claim ownership of the songs featured, which remain the property of the original artists and rights holders. All music is used under the Fair Use doctrine for purposes of criticism, commentary, and education. We encourage our listeners to support the artists by purchasing and streaming their music legally.

Flesh & Blood, the third studio album by Poison, finds the group at the top of their form.  The team of Bret Michaels on lead vocals, C.C. DeVille on lead guitar, Bobby Doll on bass, and Rikki Rockett on drums had been quite successful in the glam metal genre of the mid-80's, and had developed a reputation for a "work hard, play hard" mentality.  While they had a legendary stage presence, they also were plagued with fights both within and outside of the band.  A number of lawsuits in various cities were predicated on Michaels' tendency to get into fights at parties and other events.  Despite these issues - or perhaps because of them - their reputation only grew over time. 

Flesh & Blood is an album that is more challenging musically than the earlier ones.  The band is toning down their glam metal persona and taking on more serious lyrical themes.  Songs cover a wide range from sex and motorcycles, to struggles with long term relationships, to frustration with the struggles seen in society.  The band would drop the excessive makeup of their earlier career, and found the songs on a more blues-oriented rock.  More piano work is included, with keyboardist John Webster contributing to the album sessions.

The result was a success, reaching triple platinum status by 1991.  The album peaked at number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart and number 3 on the UK albums chart. 

This album would be a kind of high water mark for the group, as the industry was moving away from the metal sound of the late 80's and into the grunge sound of the mid-1990's.  However, the group would go on to record and tour into the new millennium, and Bret Michaels would become both a solo act and a celebrity with his MTV reality show "Rock of Love with Bret Michaels."

Lynch brings us a look at a somewhat more mature Poison on this week's for today's podcast.

Unskinny Bop Not every song has deep or significant lyrics.  This hit single from the album started as a nonsense lyric, a placeholder that stuck.  The catchy repetition would make it a crowd favorite at concerts, and it was a top 10, going to number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Valley of Lost Souls A deeper cut, this song lyrics talk about the life of a rock artist struggling to make it in a place without compassion.  It is a slower piece, but definitely not a ballad.  

Life Goes On C.C. DeVille brought the original draft of this song to the band.  The lyrics were inspired by a girlfriend of DeVille who was shot and killed in a California bar fight, and describe the quest for light at the end of a dark period in life.

Something to Believe In This ballad was the second single released from the album, and went to number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Bret Michaels dedicated this song to his friend and bodyguard James Kimo Maano who had died previously.  The lyrics reflect the frustration in the failures of society, from poverty, to the treatment of Vietnam veterans, to the hypocrisy of televangelists.

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

You're In the Doghouse Now by Brenda Lee (from the motion picture “Dick Tracy”) This action movie based on the comic series from the 1930's starred Warren Beatty in the title role, along with Al Pacino and Madonna.

STAFF PICKS:

Ball and Chain by Social Distortion Wayne kicks off the staff picks with a more alternative rock song penned by a punk rock band from their third and self-titled album.  The lyrics describe a hard luck story of a man who can't escape his difficulties.  It could be about a relationship, a rut in life, or about any vice that holds you down.

Way Down Now by World Party Rob's staff pick is the first single from World Party's second studio album, "Goodbye Jumbo."  If you hear echoes of "Sympathy for the Devil," that is deliberate - though the song is much more upbeat.  It reached number 1 on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart.  World Party is primarily a one-man project from multi-instrumentalist Karl Wallinger from the Waterboys.

Tie Dye on the Highway by Robert Plant Bruce brings us a song off plant's fifth studio album "Manic Nirvana."  The spoken line, "What we have in mind is breakfast in bed for 400,000." is from Wavy Gravy and the Hog Farm Collective, delivered at the Woodstock festival in 1969 announcing the intention to provide free breakfast to the crowd.  

Kool Thing by Sonic Youth Lynch closes out the staff picks with a song critical of the over-the-top masculinity of LL Cool J.  It was the first single from their sixth studio album, "Goo."  The track never mentions LL Cool J personally, but references a number of his works.  Chuck D. of Public Enemy provides the spoken vocals to the song.

INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

Mildred Pierce by Sonic Youth We double up on Sonic Youth as we end today's podcast with their instrumental based on a 1945 film noir starring Joan Crawford.  

Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?”

NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Malcolm John Rebennack, Jr.,better known by his stage name, Dr. John, was a singer-songwriter who blended funk, R&B and New Orleans blues into a distinctive sound.   Dr. John was well known for his stage shows which were inspired by an eclectic mix of medicine shows, voodoo ceremonies, and Mardi Gras costumes.  Dr. John got his start as a session musician in the 1950s, and continued doing session work throughout his career playing keyboards for Aretha Franklin, the Rolling Stones, and Van Morrison as a member of "The Wrecking Crew."  He recorded thirty studio albums and nine live albums before his death in 2019, including the one we profile today.

In the Right Place is Dr. John's sixth album and his best selling one, peaking at number 24 on the Billboard 200 chart.  He is backed up on this album by The Meters, a New Orleans funk band that formed in 1965.  The Meters were the house band for Alan Toussaint, who produced, arranged, and played on a number of tracks on the album.

Mac Rebennack's father ran an appliance shop in the East End of New Orleans where, in addition to fixing radios and televisions, he sold records to people from a wide variety of races and cultures.  Rebennack was expelled from his Catholic high school when the priests told him he had to either stop playing in the clubs or leave.  

The stage name Dr. John was taken from a 19th-century Louisiana voodoo priest.  In turn, Dr. John would inspire two other characters - Johnny Fever (from "WKRP in Cincinnati") and Dr. Teeth (from "The Muppet Show").

The future Dr. John started playing guitar and switched to piano after nearly losing a finger during an on-tour gunfight.

It's time for some New Orleans funk as Wayne brings us this album for the podcast.  Friend of the show Sean Mooney joins us for this one.

Traveling Mood You can expect any rock group to eventually put out a song about losing a woman, but it takes Dr. John to make this tragedy whimsical and fun.  "Said that she'd never leave me, now she's gone away to grieve me.  I was fast asleep, when she begun her midnight creep."

Qualified This is a social hierarchy song about a guy telling people who think they are better than others that they are not.  "Your social life ain't no better than my hot dog stand.  Your edu-ma-cation ain't no hipper than what you understand."

Right Place, Wrong Time This is the funky hit that peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.  It was also Dr. John's only top 40 hit, making him technically a one-hit wonder.   "I took the right road but I must have took a wrong turn."  "I took a right move, but I made it at the wrong time." 

Cold, Cold, Cold In this song, the man wishes a woman he loves was not also running around with the other guys.  There's a pit of a Rolling Stones sound about this one, and maybe a little bit of Randy Newman humor.

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Live and Let Die by Wings (from the motion picture “Live and Let Die”) This song was the theme which first introduced Roger Moore as James Bond.  It also reunited Paul McCartney with former Beatles producer George Martin.

STAFF PICKS:

Drift Away by Dobie Gray Rob drifts into the staff picks with this song originally written by Mentor Williams in 1970, and first performed by swamp rock singer John Henry Kurtz.  Soul singer Dobie Gray would produce the rendition we would know best.  Gray would land at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, making this song his biggest hit.  The lyrical tribute to the power of music would make it a frequent cover by lots of artists.

Daniel by Elton John Lynch features a song with a story.  Daniel is an American soldier injured in Vietnam who, though accepted by his family, receives criticism from the public due to the polarizing nature of that war.  Disillusioned by the response, Daniel decides to go away to Spain.  Almost all of this storyline was contained in the last verse of the song, which was cut before it was produced.

China Grove by the Doobie Brothers  Friend of the show Sean brings us a song which introduces itself with a great guitar riff and keyboards.  It is sung and written by Tom Johnson for the Doobie Brothers third studio album, "The Captain and Me."  It went to number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100.  While Johnson was writing about a fictional town, there are several towns called China Grove in America.

The Free Electric Band by Albert Hammond Wayne closes out the staff picks with a prog rock hit.  Songwriter Hammond has written a number of hits over the years, though this particular one only went to number 48.  The lyrics are about a privileged child who decides to move to California to play music despite his parents higher expectations for him.  

COMEDY TRACK:

Back When My Hair Was Short by Gunhill Road This lone hit by Gunhill Road went to number 40, and was produced by Kenny Rogers.

Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?”

NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

The Nightfly is the debut solo album from Donald Fagen.  Fagen and his Steely Dan partner Walter Becker had released the Gaucho album in late 1980, and Becker was having a lot of trouble.  His girlfriend died of a drug overdose in their apartment, and he was sued for several million dollars.  Shortly after that he was hit by a taxi, which shattered his leg.  Steely Dan disbanded in 1981, and Becker moved to Maui.  

Fagen wanted “The Nightfly” to be autobiographical, and without the irony and biting nature of Steely Dan.  There is a lot of adolescence and innocence in these songs, reflecting back on Fagen's time growing up.  The album is also one of the first to be recorded entirely in digital.  Steely Dan had tried this approach fo“Gaucho,” but it didn't work out and they reverted to analog.  Audiophiles gravitate to The Nightfly, and EQ Magazine ranks it as one of the top 10 Best Recorded Albums of All Time, up there with The Beatles' “Sergeant Peppers” and The Beach Boys' “Pet Sounds.”

Donald Fagan had problems with depression after recording “The Nightfly,” and largely disappeared from the music scene through the rest of the 80's.  Fagan said in 2006 that he hasn't listened to "The Nightfly" since making it.  However, he did record two other albums which are considered to form "The Nightfly Trilogy," including Kamakiriad" from 1993 and "Morph the Cat" from 2006.  There would also be a reunion of Steely Dan later on.

Bruce presents this jazzy album for this week's episode.

I.G.Y. (What a Beautiful World) This lead single is also the track that leads off the album.  "I.G.Y." stands for International Geophysical Year, which was a project that lasted between July 1957 and December 1958.  It encompassed eleven earth science projects and included collaboration between East and West.  The song reflects the positivity of that time and collaboration.  The song was released in September 1982 and reached number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 at the end of November.

The Nightfly This track imagines a late night DJ named Lester who plays jazz on WJAZ out of Baton Rouge, and also takes calls from conspiracy theorists.  is about a spiritual quest.  While not released as a single, this song did receive some airplay on FM stations in the 80's.

Ruby Baby Although heavily arranged with close harmonies by Fagen, this is a cover song originally performed by the Drifters in 1956.  A number of artists have covered it over time, including Dion (number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962), Billy "Crash Craddock, Del Shannon, Mitch Ryder, and Bobby Darin.

New Frontier This fun single did not break into the top 40, but it was a frequent video on the then-new MTV channel.  The idea of the song is that an adolescent boy is bringing a girl over to his parents' bomb shelter for a good time.  "Yes, we're going to have a wing ding..."

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

It Might Be You by Stephen Bishop (from the motion picture "Tootsie" ) Dustin Hoffman stars in this cross-dressing romance comedy about an actor disguising himself as a woman to land a job.

STAFF PICKS:

Steppin' Out by Joe Jackson Rob starts the staff picks with a song inspired by Jackson's time in New York City.  The song reflects the excitement of a drive around town, and hit number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.  It is off the album "Night and Day," which reflects New York City during the day on side 1, and the City during the night on side 2.

Mexican Radio by Wall of Voodoo Wayne's staff pick is a weird one.  This new wave act describes listening to the broadcasts of high-wattage unregulated Mexican radio stations whose signals were strong enough to be picked up in small town U.S.A.  Wall of Voodoo's $15,000 video would be on constant repeat on MTV.

Maneater by Hall & Oates  Lynch brings us a big Hall & Oates hit that spent four weeks at number 1 on the charts.  The song describes a woman who is bad news, only looking for money.  The video features a live panther, that got loose in the rafters of the set at one point, prompting a hasty retreat from Darryl Hall.   The sax part is played by Charles "Mr. Casual" DeChant, who also appears in the video during his solo.

She Sheila by The Producers Bruce finishes up the staff picks with Atlanta's own The Producers.  This is the big single off the band's second album "You Make the Heat."  It went to number 48 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts, and alternates between an ethereal synth part and a high energy New Wave sound.

INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

Bonzo's Montreux by Led Zeppelin John Bonham's live drum solo closes out this week's podcast.

Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?”

NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.

Please follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/whattheriffpodcast/, and message or email us with what you'd like to hear, what you think of the show, and any rock-worthy memes we can share.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

The British Invasion of the mid-60's is best known for The Beatles, but there were more groups than just the boys from Liverpool.  In fact, just a month after The Beatles played on Ed Sullivan the Dave Clark Five would take that stage, the first of 12 appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.  The quintet consisted of Dave Clark on drums and backing vocals, Rick Huxley on bass, Mike Smith on vocals and keyboard, Lenny Davidson on lead guitar, and Dennis Payton on Sax, Harmonica, and vocals.

The British Invasion was really a re-introduction of American music, as many of the British acts took inspiration from soul, gospel, and blues music from places like Chicago, Detroit, Memphis, and New Orleans.  This re-introduction was accompanied by intriguing accents, strange fashion and hair styles, and a lot of energy and heart.

The sixth American album release from the Dave Clark Five was entitled Having a Wild Weekend, and was the soundtrack to a movie of the same title.  This film was originally released as "Catch Us If You Can," in the UK, but was renamed when it was released in the States.  It is a light-hearted social drama similar to "A Hard Day's Night" released by the Beatles, and it likewise was used as a vehicle to increase the popularity of the band and their songs.

Unlike the Beatles, the Dave Clark Five never ventured into the psychedelic sound of the late 60's, and their popularity began to wane by 1967.  The group would disband in 1967.

John Lynch brings us this classic group and soundtrack for this week's podcast.

Having a Wild Weekend This single was written by Dave Clark and Mike Smith, and is the lead-off and title track to the album.  The premise of the album is that Dinah, a model for an add campaign for meat, runs off with one of the stunt men while shooting a TV commercial.  The ad executives use their disappearance to generate more publicity for their client.

New Kind of Love We're not really sure if this song is about a guy whose girlfriend cheats on him, or about a stalker who like a girl who has no idea that the guy thinks they're dating.  

I Said I Was Sorry When the guy messes up in the relationship, he is left wondering why everything isn't OK now that he has said he was sorry.  The lyrics at the time weren't meant to be studied too seriously, were they?  At least he said he was sorry, because we would find out from Elton John years later that "sorry" seems to be the hardest word.

Catch Us If You Can Co-written by Dave Clark and Lenny Davidson, this was the title song for the UK version of the album.  It leads off side two, and was the hit single from the album, rising to number 4 on the US charts.  The finger snapping and guitar leading into the song was a catchy hook.

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Main theme from the television series “Gidget”  The Frederick Kohner novels about a teenager in the surfing culture would lead to films of the late 50's, and a TV show that would begin in 1965 starring Sally Field.

STAFF PICKS:

Just a Little by The Beau Brummels Bruce's staff pick is one of the groups that is credited with creating the San Francisco sound.  The Beau Brummels were Sal Valentino on vocals, Ron Elliott on lead guitar, Declan Mulligan on guitar, Ron Meagher on bass, and John Petersen on drums.  This is off their debut album entitled "Introducing the Beau Brummels," which was produced by Sly Stallone  

The Train Kept a-Rollin' by Screaming Lord Sutch & the Savages You may be familiar with the Aerosmith version of this song, but Rob brings you an earlier version of the classic blues track originally recorded by Tiny Bradshow in 1951.  Screaming Lord Sutch was known for his Halloween-themed stage shows, complete with knives and coffins, with the lead singer appearing as Jack the RIpper.

The Game of Love by Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders Wayne features a number 1 hit from the Billboard Hot 100.  The group took its name from a British movie, and appeared in the 1967 Sidney Poitier film, "To Sir, with Love."  The group broke up at the final concert of a UK tour with The Who, Arthur Brown, and Joe Coker on November 20, 1968.

Count Me In by Gary Lewis and The Playboys Lynch closes out the staff picks with a group that was originally known as Gary & the Playboys, hiding the relationship that Gary had with his celebrity father, Jerry Lewis.  They auditioned and were hired to play at Disneyland, and frequently played to full houses.  The group suffered in live performances, because producer Snuff Garrett utilized session musicians heavily on their studio tracks, and the band could not duplicate their studio sound on the stage.

INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

Maiden Voyage by the Herbie Hancock This instrumental jazz piece that closes out the podcast shows the longevity of Herbie Hancock's career, and was the title track to his album of the same name.

Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?”

NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.

Please follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/whattheriffpodcast/, and message or email us with what you'd like to hear, what you think of the show, and any rock-worthy memes we can share.

Of course we'd love for you to rate the show in your podcast platform!

**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

While the late 80's were the high water mark for overproduced hair bands, there was an undercurrent flowing below the mainstream popularity which would surface in the 90's as the punk revival.  Los Angeles-based Bad Religion is a group which would not only benefit from that revival, but many consider the band to be a founder of the movement.  The band formed in 1980 and released a couple of albums before going on hiatus in 1983 and splitting up shortly thereafter.  After a slowly getting back together in 1986, they released their third album entitled "Suffer."  While on tour promoting that album, the band began work on their fourth album, No Control.

The band for this album was Greg Graffin on lead vocals, Greg Hetson on guitar, Brett Gurewitz on guitar and backing vocals, Jay Bentley on bass and backing vocals, and Pete Finestone on percussion.  Building this album while on tour gave it a fast and high energy feel, with the band reverting to a hardcore punk style.

While undeniably punk, Bad Religion has a more melodic sound than many of their punk predecessors.  They also exhibit solid, significant lyrics, and utilize three-part vocal harmonies that are not normally associated with the genre.  The idea of this group is to emphasize action, and living in the moment.

Friend of the show (and John Lynch's better half) Heather Lynch brings us this hallmark of the punk revival because it is the album that introduced her to punk rock.

Change of Ideas The lead-off track for the album clocks in at 55 seconds, making it onto Loudwire's top ten list of "Greatest Songs Under One Minute Long."  The concept in Graffin's lyrics is that we need to get away from ideas that trap us in fear and theory.

Big Bang This song was penned by guitarist Brett Gurewitz.  The lyrics are about how folks are searching for something in science or religion without really living their lives.  "Big bang, big crunch.  You know there's no free lunch.  Kneel down and pray, here comes your judgment day."

No Control The title track is a sonic trip to the mosh pit.  We think we have things in hand, but everything fades away very soon, and we are powerless to control it.

I Want to Conquer the World We all have thought at times that the world would be a better place if we could just take over for a while.  Gurewitz reflects on this in this piece, and wonders what we are doing here and now to make things a little better.  "I want to conquer the world.  Give all the idiots a brand new religion, put an end to poverty, uncleanliness and toil.  Promote equality in all of my decisions."

You This is a fast, angry song. "And you! painted my entire world but I don't have the turpentine to clean what you have soiled.  And I won't forget it."

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Two Step Mamau by Wayne Toups & Zydecajun (from the motion picture "Steel Magnolias" ) This southern film was had an all star cast and showcased the talents of a young Julia Roberts.

STAFF PICKS:

Sold Me Down the River by the Alarm Wayne's staff pick reminds us of Power Station's "Bang the Gong."  It made it to number 50 on the Billboard charts, but it was prominent on rock stations at the time.  It is about a lovesick guy who got his heart broken.  The Alarm is from Wales, but is often compared to Ireland's U2.

Let the Day Begin by The Call Rob brings us the title track from the Call's sixth studio album.  It is a positive song with a shuffle beat.  It was used as the campaign theme song for Al Gore in 2000.  The band formed in 1980 in Santa Cruz.

The Living Years by Mike & the Mechanics  John Lynch's staff pick is Mike Rutherford's (bassist from Genesis) band, formed in 1985.  The song is a wistful tune about missing the opportunity to truly connect with a father while he was alive.  This is the title track from their second album, released in 1988.

We Didn't Start the Fire by Billy Joel Heather features a song with 118 historical references in this fast-paced song.  The idea of the track comes from a conversation Joel had with Sean Lennon about how difficult it is to be a young person in the times.  Joel thought about how each generation has its issues, and pointed out some of the troubles from earlier decades.

INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

Proliferous Souls by Pestilence We haven't covered this Dutch death metal band, but we remedy that with this instrumental out at the time.

Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?”

NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.

Please follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/whattheriffpodcast/, and message or email us with what you'd like to hear, what you think of the show, and any rock-worthy memes we can share.

Of course we'd love for you to rate the show in your podcast platform!

**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

If you are not familiar with The Nails don't feel bad.  They were not a hit on commercial radio, but this punk rock/new wave outfit from Boulder Colorado was much better known on college radio in the mid to late 80's.  Although Mood Swing is their debut album from 1984, the band originally formed in 1976 as a five-piece band.  They moved to New York and built both their musical chops and their following on the club circuit before their major label debut.

At the time that Mood Swing was released the band consisted of Marc Campbell on vocals, Steve O'Rourke on guitar, George Kaufman on bass, Douglas Guthrie on saxophone, and David Kaufman on keyboards.  Drummer Tommy Cotogna had left the band prior to recording the album, and Dennis McDermott provided the drum work for the album sessions.

The band produced a sound that included strong musicianship, dark and often deliberately shocking lyrics, but laced with a sense of humor.  Campbell claimed that their music came from “a mystical and sexual area.  I write in a cinematic way, trying to create through language and sound, texture and atmosphere, a specific mood.”  The songs on the album do indeed represent a diversity of mood.

Wayne relives his days as a college radio DJ as he brings us this new wave group for the podcast, and we are joined by friend of the show Heather Lynch, sitting in for Bruce (and keeping Lynch in line).

Every Time I Touch You The distinctive bass line followed by the screaming guitar leads into this song about being lost in a mix of love and lust, though we're not certain that this is a match made in heaven.  Love is a fire which can be explosive and tear the lovers apart.   And you never can go wrong with a sax!

Let It All Hang Out This is a cover from a 1967 song by the Hombres, and a “southern-fried parody” of Bob Dylan's “Subterranean Homesick Blues.” A number of other artists also covered this song, including Cream, John Cougar Mellencamp, and Wheezer.  It's a fun song.

88 Lines About 44 Women  If the Nail had a “hit” this was it.  This single peaked at number 46 on the US dance chart, and was laid out on a new Casio keyboard.  The Nails had released several versions of this song previously on independent labels.  Lead singer Campbell says that the song pays tribute to the power and glory of sex, drugs, rock and roll...and love.  It is dedicated to the women in my life to did their best to keep me human."

Home of the Brave This song has a Warhol-esque feel to it.  “Hectic madness of city living where the whores are dancing on the table tops and the juke box plays Apocalyptic bebop.” 

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Theme from the television series “Night Court” We were introduced to Judge Harry T. Stone and the eclectic characters that pass through his courtroom on this sitcom that premiered in January 1984.

STAFF PICKS:

Say it Isn't So by Hall & Oates Lynch starts of the staff picks with one of two new singles released on Hall & Oates compilation album "Rock 'n Soul Part 1."  It was stuck at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, behind Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney's "Say Say Say" for several weeks before finally taking the number 1 slot.  It is about the downside of fame, and the oddness of everyone seeming to know them. 

The Politics of Dancing by The Re-Flex Rob's staff pick hits all the hallmarks of mid-80's music, including the keyboards, drum machine, spoken lyrics, and low tones.  This song went to number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100.  This is the title song from the debut album by The Re-Flex.  The band stopped working together by 1985, but members often collaborated on each other's solo projects.

Break My Stride by Matthew Wilder  Heather Lynch brings us a reggae-infused tune that hit number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.  The song lyrics reflect a man smitten by a woman from whom he must move on, but it also reflects Wilder's struggles with delivering a hit that the record label would take.

Holy Diver by Dio Wayne features heavy metal virtuoso Ronnie James Dio in a solo outing.  It was from his debut solo album of the same name.  The lyrics are about a Christ-figure on another planet who sacrifices himself for his people.  This song was one on Clear Channel's “inappropriate to play” songs after the attacks on 9/11.

INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

1984 by Van Halen This short instrumental leads off Van Halen's album of the same name.

Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?”

NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Most people are familiar with the actor, Sean Penn.  His older brother, Michael Penn went in a more musical direction, becoming a singer, songwriter, and producer.  His debut album, March, would achieve both critical and commercial success, peaking on the US album charts at number 31.  This would be his most successful album commercially, though his follow-up albums were received positively by the  critics.

Manhattan native Michael Penn was the first son of actor/director Leo Penn and actress Eileen Ryan.  He began his musical journey in junior high school, and joined the Los Angeles band Doll Congress before embarking on a solo career.  He appeared as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live in 1987 when his younger brother Sean was the host.  He would garner attention, however in 1989 with his debut album, March.  It would earn him the 1990 MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist, and its first single "No Myth" would rise to number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.  

Michael Penn would go on to marry singer-songwriter Aimee Mann (who fronted the new wave group 'Til Tuesday) in 1997.  The couple are still together and living in Los Angeles.  

Rob brings us this singer-songwriter because he has created interesting songs with clever lyrics, and his underrated status may indicate that our listeners haven't heard his music beyond his first single.  We hope you enjoy this artist and perhaps discover some music from the late 80's that you haven't heard before - or haven't heard in a while.

No Myth This is the first and most successful single from the album.  It made it to number 5 on the Mainstream Rock charts and number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.  It is about a guy who is rejected by a girl even though he knows he could make her happy.  “We said goodbye before hello, my secrets she will never know, and if I dig a hole to China I'll catch the first junk to Soho.”

Half Harvest The second song on the album is an understated deeper cut that sounds like a break-up song, or a tune about faded romance. “So move out of your bed of roses, now. I'm putting in a bed of nails.”

Brave New World This is a jangle pop, rockabilly song with great harmonies and fast-paced lyrics.  It ends with a jazz jam and we feel it has a road trip feel in the lyrics as the singer drives into the brave new world.

This & That This single hit number 10 on the Modern Rock charts, and also has a quick lyric cadence.  “I'll do this and I'll do that, I'll be burning canyons for you.  I'll do this and I'll do that and I will wait forever if you'll be there.”

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Hymn to Red October (from the motion picture The Hunt for Red October) Sean Connery takes the lead in the first of the Tom Clancy books to hit the big screen.  The idea of a defecting Soviet sub was a compelling concept in the late 80's, well before the communist government fell apart.

STAFF PICKS:

Cuts You Up by Peter Murphy  Bruce's staff pick went to number 55 on the Billboard Hot 100, but dominated the then-new Billboard Alternative Songs chart, spending seven weeks at number 1 on that chart.  Peter Murphy was the lead singer of the group Bauhaus, which gave us the song “Bela Lugosi's Dead.”  Murphy and guitarist Paul Statham wrote this song which is about how the path of self-knowledge and discovery will ruin your assumptions, keeping you from getting arrogant.

I Go to Extremes by Billy Joel Lynch reminds us that things tend to go awry when musician Billy Joel writes a song for his wife.  Indeed Joel's relationship with Christie Brinkley would come to an end in 1994 after it inspired this song that was a single from his album Stormfront. The idea of this song is a recognition that Joel can be compared to a roller coaster of emotion.  

Up All Night by Slaughter  Wayne brings us a hair band hit from the peak of “big hair.”  Las Vegas, based Slaughter is named after vocalist and guitarist Mark Slaughter who formed the band in 1988 with bassist Dana Strum.  The band is completed by guitarist Tim Kelly and drummer Blas Elias.  The song is pretty much the anthem of the hair bands - up all night, sleep all day. 

Baby, It's Tonight by Jude Cole  Rob finishes the staff picks with singer-songwriter, manager, and producer Jude Cole.  He has a sound similar to John Waite, and started with the band Lifehouse.  Cole also started a record label called Iron Works with actor Kiefer Sutherland.  This song made it to number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100.

COMEDY TRACK:

As Kosher As They Wanna Be  by 2 Live Jews  Oy Vey!  I hope we don't get cancelled for this comedy track which was on the charts at the time.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Metallica  was a big deal well before the release of this album.  Singer and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich had formed the band a decade prior to this fifth studio release, technically called Metallica but most commonly referenced as The Black Album due to its all-black cover.  Hetfield and Ulrich, together with lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Jason Newsted were successful commercially and critically on the strength of previous albums, particularly their third (Master of Puppets) and fourth (...And Justice for All) studio releases.  However The Black Album would be their most successful album release, and the second longest-charting traditional title release in history, behind only Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon."

 Metallica is one of the founding bands of thrash metal, and had a reputation for musicianship that was both fast and complex.  The Black Album saw the band developing a slower, more refined sound with singles that were shorter and tighter, making them more accessible to a general audience.  Hetfield also sought to create songs with a less "scream-heavy" vocalization.  The result of their efforts was both their first number one album on the charts, and an album filled with some of their most well-known singles.  The album is more heavy metal than their previous releases, but still retains a thrash metal edge.

Metallica would go on from success to success, never really seeing their international fame fade.  This album marks the point where the band had learned to master both their musical craft and their stage craft.  

John Lynch brings us this landmark heavy metal album.

Enter Sandman This track was the first single, the first song written for the album, and the last to receive lyrics.  Hammett wrote the primary guitar riff after being inspired by Soundgarden's Louder than Love album.  The original lyrics were much darker, referencing sudden infant death syndrome, and Lars Ulrich and producer Bob Rock encouraged Hetfield to rework them .

Sad But True The fifth and final single from the album was originally written in the key of E.  When the producer pointed out that every song on the album was written in E, the band tuned down to D for this track.  The idea for the lyrics about blind faith were inspired by the 1978 film "Magic" in which a ventriloquist is controlled by his puppet. 

The Unforgiven The second single is a heavy power ballad about the struggles of the individual against an all-powerful machine-like force holding him captive.  It has a softer style than most Metallica songs, and allows Hetfield's vocal musicianship to shine through.  Two sequel songs would be released on future albums.

Nothing Else Matters Hetfield did not intend to release this song, but wrote it for himself when feeling homesick on tour.  Ulrich encouraged him to include it in the album, and it is one of their biggest hits.  While originally written about a girlfriend, the song has become a reference to Metallica's fans on tour.

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Lets Work Together by The Kentucky Headhunters (from the motion picture “Harley Davidson & the Marlboro Man”)  This movie was a biker film with Don Johnson and Mickey Rourke in a Western style.

STAFF PICKS:

She's So High by Blur Wayne is well known for his affinity to the Manchester psychedelic sound.  However, this group with the Manchester sound is actually from London.  While the song would appear to be about drugs, it is actually a reference to a girl who is out of the singer's league.  Blur hit number 48 on the UK single's chart with this release.

Straight to Your Heart by Bad English Rob's staff pick was written by Jonathan Cain for this supergroup formed from members of Journey and The Babys.  John Waite's distinctive voice is clear on this hit from their second and final album, but it also maintains the rock sound. 

Face the Music by RTZ  Bruce shares his take on this group formed by Brad Delp and Barry Goudreau, originally founding members of the group Boston, along with Brian Maes on keyboards, Tim Archibald on bass, and David Stefanelli on drums.  This single is off RTZ's debut album "Return to Zero."  While this song only went to number 49 on the US pop charts, the success of RTZ would convince Delp to leave Boston, only to return to the group a couple of years later.

Crazy by Seal Lynch's staff pick is about the days when the Soviet Union was collapsing and the Berlin wall came down.  English singer songwriter Seal brings a haunting, smooth sound.  “In a sky full of people only some want to fly, isn't that crazy?”

INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

Sunshine by Timbuk 3 The group best known for “The Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades” penned this steel drum-laden instrumental.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Many folks know that the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd came out of Jacksonville, Florida.  But they weren't the only big southern rock band to arise from that city.  Molly Hatchet was another southern rock band from Jacksonville, also sporting three guitars.  The band formed in 1971 and shares a lot of the inspiration and influence of Skynyrd.  their best selling album was their second one, Flirtin' with Disaster, which peaked at number 19 and became a 2x platinum seller in the United States.  

The name of the band comes from the legend of a Salem-era prostitute who supposedly mutilated and decapitated her clients.  The band was not only famous for its music, but for its album cover art.  Fantasy artist Frank Frazetta created the cover, depicting a Viking-like warrior with a winged helmet and battle axe.  Personnel for Flirtin' with Disaster included Danny Joe Brown on vocals, guitarists Dave Hlubek, Steve Holland, and Duane Roland, Banner Thomas on bass, and Bruce Crump on drums. 

While Flirtin' with Disaster is the band's most successful album, they also found considerable success with the eponymous debut album released prior to Flirtin' and the third album, “Beatin' the Odds,” released with new front man Jimmy Farrar who replaced Danny Joe Brown who left for a number of reasons including diabetes.  The band would not achieve similar success with its future albums, though Brown would return to the band by their fifth album.  Molly Hatchet remained a popular touring band, though today all the original members have died.  

Friend of the show Craig Dale joins us as Wayne brings us this Southern rock classic for the podcast. 

Let the Good Times Roll While this may be considered a deeper cut, the track which closes out the album did receive significant airplay on rock stations when the album came out.  “Give me wine, women, whiskey and rock 'n' roll and let me sleep my days away.”  

Flirtin' with Disaster This is the timeless classic from the album, the title track, and the opening song for side two.  Although this is considered their breakout hit and highest charting, it only went to number 42 on the Billboard Hot 100.  The song has been used in a number of films and television shows including Suspect Zero, Straw Dogs, My Name is Earl, and King of the Hill.

Good Rockin' This deep cut is one in which all band members share writing credits.  It was not released as a single but did appear as a B-side to their second single, “It's All Over Now.”  It is simply a straightforward rock party song - “So if you're feeling good, if you feel alright we're going to have a rock 'n' roll time tonight.”

Whiskey Man The leading track from the album is a well-known Molly Hatchet song, though it failed to chart.  It is an anti-drinking song in which the lyrics discuss the hazards of alcohol.  “You start to get straight, then you get weak, can't you see you're on a losing streak?”

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Coal Miner's Daughter by Loretta Lynn (from the motion picture “Coal Miner's Daughter”) Sissy Spacek won the Academy Award for her portrayal of Loretta Lynn in this biographical drama. 

STAFF PICKS:

Back On My Feet Again by The Babys Bruce brings us the number 33 hit by John Waite and the Babys - their fourth and final top 40 hit.  This is off their album “Union Jacks.”  They opened for Journey on tour, and their keyboardist, Jonathan Cain, would wind up joining Journey when the Babys broke up.  

What I Like About You by The Romantics Rob presents a party song that got a lot of airplay with a 50's/60's feel.  It was written in 1979 and it came out on the debut album from the Romantics.  The lead singer, Wally Palmar, is the drummer for the group.  The song only made it to number 49 on the US charts, but its garage band feel and party credentials have given it a timeless quality that fares better the longer it is around.

Magic by Olivia Newton John Lynch tests Wayne's patience with this number 1 hit from Australia's own Olivia Newton John.  It was recorded for the soundtrack to the 1980 musical fantasy film “Xanadu” and was released as its lead single.  The song was written by John Farrar who wrote a number of Olivia Newton John's hits.

Goodbye Blue Sky by Pink Floyd Friend of the show Craig Dale brings us a haunting tune from the Pink Floyd album “The Wall.”  This track reveals how the horror of war and the blitz formed a brink in the wall of isolation the protagonist forms in his descent into madness.  The child speaking at the front of the song is actually band member Roger Waters' son, Harry.

Rockin' Heaven Down by Heart Wayne closes out this week's podcast with his favorite Heart song from the album “Bebe Le Strange.”  The track features Nancy Wilson starting the song on a 12-string electric guitar, and Nancy Wilson's fierce vocals.  “Hoot into the night, that look from eye to eye, a flash gets passed around, a band of wild angels rockin' heaven down.”

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Moondance is the album that established Van Morrison as a solo artist.  However, he was an accomplished musician before this, first as a multi-instrumentalist in Irish show bands of the late 50's, then as the lead singer of the band Them.  Moondance is either Morrison's second or third solo album…depending upon how you count it.  The first album entitled “Blowin' Your Mind!” was put out without Morrison's permission — or even knowledge, and he does not consider it to be a proper album.  However, he had signed a contract with Bang! Records without paying much attention to the details, and gave up much of his rights.  Nevertheless, this first album did contain Morrison's first solo pop single, “Brown-Eyed Girl,” which is one of this most popular today.

After considerable wrangling and the death of producer Bert Berns, Morrison was able to put out an album on his own terms for Warner Brothers entitled “Astral Weeks.”  While this album would be praised in the future, it was considered a failure at the time, producing no singles and not receiving much promotion.

Moondance is where it all comes together for Morrison.  It was more deliberately designed to have more accessible songs than the previous album, and it benefitted from the rising popularity of FM radio.  Morrison's growing confidence in his own abilities and his sense of independence from the producers also were beneficial on this album.  The result is an iconic album with a number of standards of 70's music.

Bruce brings us this inspired album for this week's podcast.

And It Stoned Me This track leads off the album.  The song reminisces about days being a kid, going fishing, drinking stream water from a jar, and just being high on life.  The lyric about Jelly Roll may refer to jazz musician Jelly Roll Morton, an artist whom Morrison listened to with his father as a child.  Van Morrison's dad had one of the biggest record collections in the area.

Into the Mystic This track is about a spiritual quest.  According to Wikipedia, Morrison says the song “is just about being part of the universe.”  While it was not released as a single when the album was released it has become one of Morrison's most popular song, the second most streamed song on Spotify behind “Brown Eyed Girl.”

Glad Tidings A deeper cut, this track is the final song on the album and the final song recorded for the album.  The inspiration for the title was a letter Morrison received from a friend in London who had written on the envelope, “Glad Tidings from London.”  When Morrison wrote back he also included “Glad Tidings from New York” on the envelope.  The lyrics appear to address some of the issues Morrison had with Bert Berns and Bang! Records.

Moondance As iconic as this song has become, it was not released as a single until September of 1977, seven-and-a-half years after the album.  Morrison developed it while living in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  He considers it a sophisticated song, one that Frank Sinatra could be seen singing. 

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

The Love Theme (from the motion picture "Airport" ) This film was one of the first disaster movies that would form its own genre in the 1970's.

STAFF PICKS:

Friends by Feather Wayne gets the staff picks started with a pop group from Los Angeles.  Feather had a commercially oriented prog rock sound, with close harmonies and a bit of a country flavor.  “Friends” was on the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks, with its highest position at number 79.  However, they did get a chance to showcase their song on Dick Clark's American Bandstand.

Reflections of My Life by Marmalade Rob brings us a Scottish band that started in 1961 as the Gaylords.  This is their biggest hit making it to number 10 in the U.S.  The epic feel employs acoustic guitars and horns, and a guitar solo which employs studio effects that play the solo guitar riff backwards.

Kentucky Rain by Elvis Presley  Lynch's staff pick was recorded during Presley's landmark two-week sessions at American Sound Studio in Memphis.  These sessions produced two hit albums in 1969, but this song didn't make the cut for either album.  The single was on the charts during this month, rising as high as number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, and features Ronnie Milsap on piano.

Mississippi Queen by Mountain Bruce brings us a rocker to wrap up the staff picks.  This hard rock group was active primarily from 1969 through 1972, and this single went to number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100.  The opening cowbell originated when drummer Corky Laing got tired of the numerous retakes and just started using the cowbell to count off the song.  Bassist Felix Pappalardi liked the sound and kept it in the completed track. 

INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

Viva Tirado (part 1) by El Chicano This Latin-jazz instrumental number was based on an original song about a bullfighter by Gerald Wilson.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Aside from having a terrific title, the seventh studio album by REO Speedwagon would be the one which would bring them mainstream success.  You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can't Tuna Fish was the first album to be co-produced by guitarist Gary Richrath and lead singer Kevin Cronin, and was the first to break into the top 40 on the Billboard 200 album charts in the US, peaking at number 29.  It also was the first on which Bruce Hall was a part of the group, replacing Gregg Philbin on bass.  The rest of the group was Nel Doughty on keyboards and Alan Gratzer on drums.   Doughty and Gratzer were college students when the band was founded, and Doughty was inspired to create the name of the group when he saw it written on the board of his “History of Transportation” class.

This album trends toward melodic rock and power ballads, which perhaps explains the broader appeal they received.  Richrath's guitar hooks blended well with Cronin's strong vocals, and the result was a polished sound that worked well for both rock anthems and more pensive ballads.  The energy of the studio album also seemed to finally catch the essence and energy of their live performances.

The band would go on to become one of the stars of the arena rock world in the 80's, and this album is where that really started for them.

Rob brings us this group at the start of their ascent to stardom.

Roll with the Changes This infectious rock anthem leads off the album, and is a timeless staple of the band's concerts.  Kevin Cronin was inspired to write this song when he returned to the band in 1976 and relocated from Chicago to Los Angeles.  Changes in his life caused the song to hit him instantly.  He started writing the lyrics on a paper bag in his Ford Pinto while driving to L.A.

Runnin' Blind This deeper cut is the third track on the album.  It has a solid guitar riff and we believe a “Cheap Trick” sound.  The lyrics discuss a lover who is always on the road playing the guitar and leaving someone behind.  “Change is comin' no more runnin'”

Time for Me to Fly Another song written by Kevin Cronin, this ballad was inspired by Cronin's breakup with his high school girlfriend.  Unlike “Roll with the Changes,” this song took Cronin 10 years to write, and had been rejected for previous albums.  While it would peak at number 56 on the Billboard Hot 100, it would become one of their best known songs and a timeless ballad.

Say You Love Me or Say Goodnight Another deeper cut that rocks, this one closes out the album.  The lyrics are a call to either make up or split up.  It is a great jam to end the concert or album.  

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Theme from the motion picture The Magic of Lassie Jimmy Stewart makes his last appearance in this installment of the film franchise starring the famous collie.

STAFF PICKS:

Party by Boston  Bruce kicks off the staff picks with the sixth track from Boston's second studio album, “Don't Look Back”  This straight-up party song was co-written by Brad Delp and Tom Scholz, one of only two songs on the album not solely written by Scholz.  While it wasn't released as a single, it received significant airplay on rock stations and appears on Boston's Greatest Hits album.

Raise a Little Hell by Trooper Wayne keeps the energy up with a rocker off Canadian band Trooper's fourth studio album.  Randy Bachman produced this album entitled “Thick as Thieves.”  It appears in the first season of the NETFLIX show “Stranger Things.”  While not having a big hit in the US (this one went to number 59) Trooper was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2023.

Hot Blooded by Foreigner  Lynch brings us a monster hit written by Lou Gramm and Mick Jones.  While most people with a fever of 103 would need some rest, the song describes the cure as an after-show rendezvous with the girl he's been checking out.  The song did more than dance up the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 3.

Runaway by Jefferson Starship Rob takes the tempo down to close out the staff picks with the second single from the album “Earth.”  This song made it to number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Marty Balin takes vocal duties on this song, alternating between a smooth sound in the verses and a grittier, funky sound in the bridge.

INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

The Unidentified Flying Tuna Trot by REO Speedwagon  This instrumental off “You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can't Tuna Fish” gives us the opportunity to double dip on the episode's featured album by REO Speedwagon.

Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?”

NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

One of the more underrated - some might say virtually lost - bands of the early rock era is Delaney & Bonnie.  This singer-songwriter duo is made of session guitarist/vocalist Delaney Bramlett and his wife and former Ikette Bonnie Bramlett.  Just as important as this founding couple is the number of talented musicians they brought into their recordings, with albums often being referenced as recorded by "Delaney & Bonnie and friends."  These "friends" included luminaries such as Leon Russell, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Duane Allman, Greg Allman, Steve Howe, and Rita Coolidge.  

D&B Together is the sixth and final album from Delaney & Bonnie.  Originally entitled "Country Life," the album was delivered to Atco/Atlantic Records behind schedule and rushed into distribution.  Although Atlantic executive Jerry Wexler was a friend of the duo, he didn't think the quality was where it needed to be and withdrew it from the market.  He later sold the contract and the album's master tapes to CBS, who reordered the running sequence and re-released it in March 1972.  In addition to frequent collaborators Eric Clapton, Leon Russell, and Duane Allman, this album also contains the work of "friends" like Dave Mason, Billy Preston, and Tina Turner. 

Despite the title, Delaney and Bonnie would divorce shortly after the album came out.  Drugs were taking their toll on the couple and their relationship could not survive it.  However, they did have a daughter named Bekka Bramlett, who was a member of Fleetwood Mac from 1993-1995 and had a long career as a backing vocalist in the music industry.

Bruce presents this underrated rock/soul album for this week's podcast.

Comin' Home This song was released in December 1969 by Atco Records (US) and Atlantic Records (international).  It was co-written by Bonnie Bramlett and Eric Clapton, and features Eric Clapton.  It went to number 84 on the US pop charts.  The lyrics are about being on the road and getting ready to come home to the one the singer loves.  

Only You Know and I Know Dave Mason originally wrote and recorded this song in 1970, and it became his first charting single, going to number 42 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Delaney & Bonnie re-recorded it and took it to number 20 on the same chart.  This single was released in 1971, another single that came out before the album.  

I Know Something Good About You This is a deeper cut on the album with an upbeat, funky sound.  It was written by Delaney Bramlett and Joe Hicks.  

Groupie (Superstar) Most people recognize this as a hit from the Carpenters, but this is the original.  Rita Coolidge came up with the idea after observing female groupies with rock starts in the late 60's, and the song was written by Bonnie Bramlett and Leon Russell.  It was the B-side to "Comin' Home."  Richard Carpenter picked it up for the Carpenters, and changed some of the lyrics to be less risqué.  

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Main theme from the television series The Rookies This police action series debuted in October 1972.

STAFF PICKS:

And You and I by Yes Wayne leads off the staff picks with an excerpt of the 10+ minute work written by Jon Anderson, Bill Bruford, Steve Howe, and Chris Squire. The entire song consists of four parts, but the first two were released as a single edit which hovered just outside the top 40 on the Billboard charts.   

You Wear It Well by Rod Stewart Rob brings us the first single from Stewart's fourth studio album, "Never a Dull Moment."  It went to number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number 1 on the UK singles chart.  Many consider this an arrangement of Stewarts hit "Maggie May."  As with his previous album, members of the Faces join in as musicians on "Never a Dull Moment."

Lean On Me by Bill Withers Lynch features a song written and performed by Withers.  It was inspired by his experience growing up in a mining town in West Virginia. The community ethic of that town was something Withers missed when he moved to Los Angeles.  It was the first single from Withers' second album, "Still Bill." 

Turn to Stone by Barnstorm Bruce brings us a song inspired by frustration over the Vietnam War, the Nixon Administration, and the protesting that was going on at the time.  Joe Walsh left the James Gang and formed a group called Barnstorm.  The group put out three albums including one with the wonderful title "The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get."  This song is off the group's self-titled debut album. 

COMEDY TRACK:

My Ding-a-Ling by Chuck Berry We close out this week's podcast with Berry's double entendre masterpiece, on the charts in this month.  

Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?”

NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

The Blues Brothers Original Soundtrack is a powerhouse collection of rhythm and blues that captures the essence of the iconic film.  It features a blend of classic blues, soul, and rock 'n' roll performed by legendary artists including Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, James Brown, and Cab Calloway.  

The Blues Brothers originated as a musical comedy act created by Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi on the sketch comedy show “Saturday Night Live” in the late 1970's.  Inspired by their shared love for blues and R&B music, Aykroyd and Belushi created fictional characters, Jake and Elwood Blues, as their alter egos.  The act gained popularity, leading to the release of their self-titled debut album in 1978 and eventually to the creation of the Blues Brothers motion picture in 1980.  

In the film, parolee Jake Blues is joined by his blood brother Elwood Blues on a “mission from God” to save the Catholic orphanage in which they were raised by reuniting their band and raising the $5000.00 for the property tax bill.  Their quest brings them to a number of characters played by iconic artists including Cab Calloway and James Brown.  The resulting soundtrack stands as a testament to the enduring power of blues music and left an indelible mark on both the film and music industry.

John Lynch dons his suit and dark sunglasses to bring us this feature.

Minnie the Moocher Cab Calloway originally presented Minnie the Moocher back in 1931, and reprises the song for this film.  Calloway was a regular performer at the Cotton Club in Harlem, and a popular vocalist of the swing era.  Calloway plays Curtis in the film, a father figure and mentor to the Blues Brothers, and performs this song as a warm-up to the concert.

Jailhouse Rock As the movie ends with Jake and Elwood back in prison after successfully paying off the tax bill for the orphanage.  The band plays Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock" for the inmates as the credits roll.  Jake Blues (Belushi) takes lead on this upbeat number.

Think Aretha Franklin covers her own song as Mrs. Murphy, trying to persuade her husband Matt Murphy to not join the band.  Franklin had a lot of difficulty lip synching the song and would have preferred to just sing it live.  The Blues Brothers join her on this cover.

Gimme Some Lovin' The Blues Brothers cover this piece originally performed by the Spencer Davis Group and made famous by Steve Winwood.  While the song was a top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, in the film it gets a decidedly cooler reception in the honky tonk bar in which it is performed. 

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Lookin' for Love by Johnny Lee (from the motion picture “Urban Cowboy”) With the decline of disco, crossover country & western hits became popular.  John Travolta starred in this movie which capitalized on the popularity of country music.

STAFF PICKS:

Train in Vain (Stand By Me) by the Clash Bruce brings us the third single from the Clash's third album, “London Calling.”  This was a double album, and a post-punk turn by the group.  The song was originally intended to be a giveaway flexi single, but was put on the album at the last minute when that deal fell through.  Mick Jones wrote and sings lead on this song, inspired by his tumultuous relationship with Stiltz guitarist Viv Albertine.

Free Me Big by Roger Daltrey Wayne features the front man for the Who in a solo effort written by Argent guitarist Russ Ballard.  The song is on Daltrey's 1980 solo album “McVicar” It also appears on the soundtrack for the movie "McVicar" in which Daltrey plays John McVicar, an inmate in prison for a number of bank robberies.  The other members of the Who play on this song as uncredited musicians.

We Live for Love by Pat Benatar Rob's staff pick is performed by Benatar, but it is often confused for a Blondie song.  It is a single from Benatar's debut album, “In the Heat of the Night,” and was written by Neil Giraldo, Benatar's then-guitarist and now-husband (and still guitarist).  It was the leading track from side two.

Ride Like the Wind by Christopher Cross Lynch's staff pick went to number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, held out of the number 1 slot by Blondie's “Call Me.”  It is Cross's debut single from his Grammy winning 1979 self-titled album.  Cross dedicated the song to Lowell George, formerly of the band Little Feat, who had died in 1979.  Michael McDonald is easy to identify on backing vocals.

NOVELTY TRACK:

Turning Japanese by the Vapors Songwriter and Vapors lead singer David Fenton says this is all the cliches about angst and youth and turning into something you didn't expect to.  This new wave song went to number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100.

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NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

The Band was a Canadian-American rock group formed in the mid 60's as the backing band for Bob Dylan when he made his controversial switch from acoustic to electric.  Originally called “The Hawks,” when they toured as the backing band for Ronnie Hawkins, they toured as “Bob Dylan and the Band” when they joined Dylan.  After leaving Bob Dylan to do their own work, they stuck with the generic name “The Band.”  They combined rock, folks, Americana, and other genres of music to create their own influential sound.

The Last Waltz is a triple album which documents The Band's farewell concert held on Thanksgiving Day in 1976 at Bill Graham's Winterland Ballroom where The Band debuted back in 1969.  The concert itself was a 5 hour affair for 5,000 spectators and included a Thanksgiving dinner and ballroom dancing.  Over a dozen special guests were involved in the concert including Muddy Waters, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, and Joni Mitchell.  Martin Scorsese filmed the concert and turned it into what is considered one of the greatest documentary concert films ever produced. 

The Band influenced many artists in the rock and folk genre including George Harrison, Elton John, and the Grateful Dead.  They were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1989 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.  

Though the original quintet did not tour after this concert, they did produce a seventh studio album entitled “Islands” to fulfill their record contract.  

Wayne brings us this iconic live album for the podcast.

The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down This anti-war song written by Robbie Robertson (and perhaps by Levon Helm as well, though uncredited) hearkens back to the Civil War and the devastation inflicted on the American South.  It would be difficult to make this song today, because the subject is a poor white Southerner suffering during the last year of the Civil War. Nevertheless, a number of artists have covered it including Joan Baez, Johnny Cash, John Denver, and the Black Crowes.  

Baby Let Me Follow You Down Bob Dylan joins The Band onstage on this traditional folk song.  It appeared on Dylan's debut album and was made electric in 1966 with The Band behind him.  In a farewell concert with special guests it would be expected that Bob Dylan would make an appearance due to the connection between him and The Band.

Mannish Boy  The Band is joined by blues legend Muddy Waters on this classic blues track.  This standard was an "answer song" to Bo Diddley's "I'm a Man," which was in turn inspired by Waters' and Willie Dixon's "Hoochie-Coochie Man."  Muddy Waters is known as the "father of modern Chicago blues," and inspired much of what we know as Rock and Roll today.

Up on Cripple Creek One of the best known songs by The Band, this one reached number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Drummer Levon Helm is on lead vocals for this track about a long-haul trucker who gambles, drinks, listens to music, and spends time with "little Bessie" in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Theme from the prime time drama series “Dallas” We were introduced to J.R. Ewing and the other members of the oil family on this prime time soap opera which debuted as a mini-series in 1978.

STAFF PICKS:

Lay Down Sally by Eric Clapton Lynch starts of the staff picks with a hit that went to number 3 in the US and number 39 in the UK.  Marcy Levy, one of Clapton's backup singers, wrote this song with Clapton and sings on it.  It is about staying in bed in the morning rather than leaving quickly.  

Thank You for Being a Friend by Andrew Gold Bruce's staff pick was a hit for Andrew Gold at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 long before Cynthia Fee covered it in her re-recording as the theme song for “The Golden Girls.”  Gold referred to this song as “just this little throwaway thing” that took “about an hour to write.”

Count on Me by Jefferson Starship  Rob brings us the next iteration of Jefferson Airplane, which made it to number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Marty Balin is on lead for this song written by composer and flutist Jesse Barish.  It is off Jefferson Starship's fourth album, “Earth.”

Every Kinda People by Robert Palmer Wayne features  Robert Palmer from Yorkshire, England, who lived for a time in Malta where his father worked in British naval intelligence.  This reggae-infused song was Palmer's first top 40 hit in the United States, reaching number 16 on the charts.  The upbeat and positive lyrics remind us that everyone is the same inside regardless of skin color.

INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

Jam #1 by The Band We do a little double-dipping on the instrumental this week as we go back to The Last Waltz for this jam.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Before his solo work, before Blind Faith, before Traffic, a 14-year old known then as Stevie Winwood joined The Spencer Davis Group as a guitarist and lead singer.  This blues-oriented British band released their first LP, conveniently called Their First LP in June of 1965 to British and European audiences.  We are covering it in August 1965, but the album itself was not released in the United States at the time.  Most of the songs would make it to the US market in compilation albums released years later.

The Spencer Davis Group was Spencer Davis on vocals, guitar, and harmonica; Steve Winwood on lead vocals, harmonica, guitar, and piano; Muff Winwood (Steve's older brother) on vocals and bass; and Pete York on drums.  Additional personnel included Kenny Salmon on organ for a couple of tracks, and one track found Peter Asher on piano and Millie Small on vocals.

The album didn't enter the UK albums chart until January 1966, but it would reach number 6 on that chart after a single entitled "Keep On Running" from their second album entered the UK singles charts.  

"Their First LP" is blues driven, and much of the album consists of covers from blues artists.  However, there are also some original pieces composed by Spencer Davis and by Steve Winwood.  

Spencer Davis went on to solo and collaborative work after The Spencer Davis Group, eventually becoming an executive for Island Records.  Steve Winwood would of course move on to a storied career as a rock musician.

Bruce brings this blues-laced proto-rock album to the podcast.

My Babe This track leads off the album.  While the Spencer Davis Group did not release this as a single, it reached number 75 on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1963 when it was originally released by its writers, Bobby Hatfield and Bill Medley.  Hatfield and Medley are better known as The Righteous Brothers.

Dimples This cover was the first single released from the album, preceding the album by almost a year.  The original was written and recorded by blues artist John Lee Hooker in 1956 as an ensemble piece.  It was the first Hooker record to appear on the British record charts, though it would take until 1964 to reach the charts.  While the Hooker single charted, the Spencer Davis Group cover did not chart.

Sittin' and Thinkin' Here is an original song amongst an album dominated by covers.  Spencer Davis wrote this song.  It was released as a single, the fourth from the album, but only in the Netherlands.

It Hurts Me So The closing track to the album was written by Steve Winwood.  It was not released as a single, but it is an example of Winwood's early blues-influenced work. 

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

The Night Before by the Beatles (from the motion picture "Help!" ) This film showcased the Beatles in a comedy adventure as the group tries to protect Ringo from an eastern cult.

STAFF PICKS:

Agent Double-O-Soul by Edwin Starr James Bond is the obvious inspiration for Wayne's staff pick.  Edwin Starr was singing with The Bill Dogett Combo when he went to the cinema to watch the Bond feature, "Thunderball."  He wound up watching it 3 times before going back to his hotel room to write this song.  Bill Dogett rejected his pitch to sing solo on this tune, so Starr left the group to become a solo act.

I Want Candy by The Strangeloves Rob brings us a tune by songwriters Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein, and Richard Gottehrer.  They took on the persona of Australian sheep farmer brothers turned band members Giles, Miles, and Niles Strangelove for this group.  This song with a Bo Diddley beat was inspired by dancer Candy Johnson who was seen at the 1964 Worlds Fair.  Bow Wow Wow would have a hit with a cover of this song in the 80's.

Since I Lost My Baby by The Temptations  Lynch's staff pick comes from Motown in the form of a lover's lament written by Smokey Robinson and Warren Moore.  It hit number 17 on the US charts.  The Temptations would be a huge hitmaker in the 60's both with David Ruffin and Dennis Edwards on lead vocals.

Same Old Song by The Four Tops Bruce's staff pick features an American vocal quartet from Detroit who helped to define the Motown sound.  This Holland-Dozier-Holland song hit number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number 2 on the Billboard R&B chart.  Lead singer Levi Stubbs was joined by Duke Fakir, Obie Benson, and Lawrence Payton to form the quartet, and they would remain together from 1953 until 1997 without a change in personnel.

INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

The "In" Crowd by The Ramsey Lewis Trio This jazz single hit number 2 on the R&B chart and number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.  The Ramsey Lewis Trio would receive a Grammy Award for the album of the same name in 1966.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Randy Bachman left The Guess Who in 1970 after experiencing lifestyle differences with the other band members.  After exploring a number of alternatives, Bachman formed a group with his brothers Tim Bachman (guitars, vocals), and Robbie Bachman (percussion), and with Fred Turner (bass, vocals).  The group took the name Bachman -Turner Overdrive, often shortened to BTO.  Although their self-titled first album did not produce a single, it was regionally successful, and the band made the most of it with a heavy touring schedule.  

It was their second studio album, Bachman-Turner Overdrive II, which would bring the band significant success.  The album would go to number 4 on the Billboard 200 chart, and number 6 on the charts in their native Canada.  Powered by bluesy guitar riffs and infectious choral hooks, BTO-II would become a staple of classic rock radio, and demonstrate the signature rock sound of the early 70's.

Tim Bachman would be replaced by Blair Thornton prior to their third and most successful studio album, "Not Fragile."  This lineup would produce a further three studio albums before founder Randy Bachman's departure in 1979.  The band would continue on until 2005 before calling a hiatus.  A number of reunions would follow starting in 2009.

Rob features this influential group who maintained a guitar-led hard rock sound during a time when soft rock, glam, and disco were on the rise.

Takin' Care of Business Randy Bachman originally developed this song while a member of The Guess Who, and it's working title was "White Collar Worker."  The Guess Who turned it down because they thought it was too similar to The Beatles' "Paperback Writer," so Bachman rearranged it for BTO as "Takin' Care of Business."  Randy Bachman is on lead vocals for this anthem.

Blown The lead track to the album is a deeper cut that describes a long-ago day when smoking drugs led to a collapse and a time "when they locked me up."  It has a great hook in the chorus and a fast pace.  "I was blown (woo woo) ran and jumped and screamed.  I was blo-o-own right inside a dream."

Welcome Home This is a quirky song has an alternating acoustic Latin verse and heavier chorus, with a jazzy finish.  The lyrics talk about life on the road and how good it feels to go back home, drive your own car and sleep in your own bed.  It could not be confirmed that Animal from The Muppet Show was an uncredited contributor to this track.

Let It Ride Fred Turner is on lead vocals for the first BTO single to crack the US Top 40 (at number 23).  The inspiration for the song was a time when the band was on a highway in their tour bus and got boxed in by a couple of trucks.  When the band confronted the truckers about it at a truck stop, they were told to settle down and just let it ride.

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Opening theme from the television series "The Six Million Dollar Man" This is where we learned about "Steve Austin.  Astronaut.  A man barely alive."  The weekly exploits of the Bionic Man would have us running in slow motion on the playground to simulate his 60-mph dashes. 

STAFF PICKS:

Seasons In the Sun by Terry Jacks  Wayne brings us a song adapted from a Belgian tune called "The Dying Man."  The lyrics portray a dying man's farewell to his loved ones.  It was a worldwide hit that went to number 1, becoming the largest-selling Canadian single in history at the time.  Jacks rewrote the lyrics to reflect a life that acknowledges rights and wrongs of his life as he passes away peacefully.

Living for the City by Stevie Wonder   Lynch features a song on which Wonder plays all the instruments and performs all the vocals.  The lyrics tell of a young kid from Mississippi who moves to New York City.  While down south he had hardships, but was surrounded by caring people.  In the city, people take advantage of him, and he is caught with drugs and sentenced to 10 years in jail.

Let Me Be There by Olivia Newton-John  Bruce's staff pick is Newton-John's first top 10 hit in the US, peaking at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.  This would also be the start of a more country direction for the singer, and would continue for the next couple of albums.  Olivia Newton-John would win a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocalist for this upbeat tune.

Mind Games by John  Lennon Rob finishes off the staff picks with a single originally released in 1973 from Lennon's album of the same name.  It made it to number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Lennon started writing this in 1969 under the working title "Make Love, Not War."  That phrase had been overused by the early 70's, and he took inspiration from a book title for the change to "Mind Games."

INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

Space Race  by Billy Preston  Long time Beatles collaborator Billy Preston wrote this instrumental sci fi funk number.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Aerosmith is a band in two acts.  They were a highly successful group in the 70's, but arguments and drugs left the band a shade of its former self by 1980.  A second chance was presented when the crossover collaboration between Aerosmith and Run-D.M.C. on "Walk this Way" became a number 4 US hit in 1986.  The bad went into drug rehab at the insistence of manager Tim Collins, and had a major hit with their ninth studio album "Permanent Vacation."

Aerosmith demonstrated that their second act was not just a fluke with their tenth studio album, Pump, which was even more successful than Permanent Vacation.  This was a significant comeback, re-establishing the band as one of rock's premier acts.  The album was polished and energetic, combining a gritty hard rock sound with pop sensibilities.  The album was not only a commercial success, peaking at number 5 on the US charts and being certified 7x platinum by 1995, but was also a critical success, landing Aerosmith their first Grammy for "Janie's Got a Gun."  Pump was the fourth best-selling album of the year 1990.

The band lineup for this album had Steven Tyler on vocals, keyboards, and harmonica, Joe Perry on guitar and backing vocals, Brad Whitford on guitar, Tom Hamiilton on bass, and Joey Kramer on drums.  Guitarist Brad Whitford explained the album title on a 1989 MTV special by saying "now that we're off drugs, we're all pumped up."  

John Lynch brings us this stellar rock and pop sensation this week.

Water Song/Janie's Got a Gun A 10-second instrumental called "Water Song" precedes the song written by Steven Tyler and Tom Hamilton.  The second single from the album went to number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.  It describes the revenge of a young woman for the childhood abuse she experienced.  Aerosmith won the 1990 Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for this song.

Dulcimer Stomp/The Other Side Another song with a brief instrumental lead-in, this was the fourth single released from the album.  It was written by Jim Vallance and Steven Tyler, with Holland-Dozier-Holland receiving songwriting credit after threatening to file suit over similarities between this and their song "Standing in the Shadows of Love."  The lyrics are about a turbulent relationship, with the singer wanting to get past the emotional roller-coaster. 

Monkey on My Back It is difficult to find a deep cut on this album, but this is one that was not released as a single.  Tyler and Perry wrote this track about the band's struggles with addiction.  It was the first song that Tyler and Perry wrote for the album, and it was composed in November 1988 prior to the end of their Permanent Vacation tour.

Going Down/Love In an Elevator A double entendre-laden skit leads in this double entendre-laden song.  Tyler and Perry wrote this piece, and it was inspired by an actual experience Steven Tyler had where he was making out with a woman in an elevator and the doors opened.  It was nominated for a Grammy in 1990 for Best Hard Rock Performance, but Aerosmith lost out to Living Colour on that one.

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Theme from the television music performance and dance program “American Bandstand”  Dick Clark's music show which premiered in March 1952 had its final show on October 7, 1989.

STAFF PICKS:

Sowing the Seeds of Love by Tears for Fears Bruce brings us a Beatles-esque song from the third Tears for Fears album, "Seeds of Love."  It was written by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, and hit number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, their fourth and final entry into the top 10.  Orzabal considers it to be the most overtly political song Tears for Fears had written at the time.  

Big Talk by Warrant Rob's staff pick is a rocking tune from glam metal band Warrant's first album, "Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich."  This third single from the album made it to number 30 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, though it only made it to number 93 on the Billboard Hot 100.  The album went to number 10 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Pictures of Matchstick Men by Camper Van Beethoven  Wayne brings us a cover of the first hit single by Status Quo, released in 1968.  This rendition combines elements of pop, ska, punk, folks, alternative, and country.  the "Matchstick men" reference is to the paintings of L.S. Lowry, and English painter who depicted Salford, Manchester, and other industrial scenes in his works.

It's Not Enough by Starship Lynch's staff pick is the second single released off Starship's third album, the first album after Grace Slick left the band.  It went to number 12 on the Billboard charts, the final top 40 hit for the band.  This is the sound that most typified the produced sound of the late 80's.

INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

Flying In a Blue Dream by the Joe Satriani The title track to Satriani's third studio album closes out this week's podcast.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

This podcast goes out to all the Parrot heads out there.  Son of a Son of a Sailor is the eighth studio album by Jimmy Buffett, and is the follow-up to his breakout album “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes.”  This is Buffett's highest charting album of the 70's, peaking at number 10 in the U.S. 

Jimmy Buffett was born on Christmas Day, 1946, in Pascagoula, Mississippi.  He lived in Mobile and Fairhope, Alabama growing up, and began playing guitar at Auburn.  He recorded a country album and went to work at Billboard Magazine in Nashville briefly after college, then moved to Key West to serve as the first mate on the Petticoat III yacht.  He would also develop what would become his genre of music while in Key West amongst the sea going vessels.

Buffett discovered the profit in touring early, and his focus would turn to live shows as well as other business ventures.  Jimmy Buffett is supposedly worth around $550 million today, making him one of the richest musicians in the world.

If you're wondering where the term “Parrot Head” comes from, Buffett made a comment in a 1985 concert in Cincinnati about the fans wearing Hawaiian shirts and parrot hats who returned to his concerts again and again.  A member of the Coral Reefer Band coined the term "Parrot Head" as a nod to the Dead Heads who followed the Grateful Dead on tour and the name stuck.

Bruce brings this Caribbean-infused music this week.

Son of a Son of a Sailor This title track opens the album, and was inspired by Buffett's grandfather, James Delaney Buffett.  Jimmy Buffett saw a picture of his grandfather standing on the docks in Nova Scotia where his grandfather grew up.  He settled as an adult in Mobile, Alabama, and hadn't returned to Nova Scotia until he was 84.  The picture showed him looking at an old ailing schooner, and the lyrics reflect looking back on a sailing life and family.

Mañana Supposedly this song is about things Buffett did in a week he spent living on his boat in the British Virgin Islands.  Mañana means “tomorrow” in Spanish, and can be a term for putting things off indefinitely.

Livingston Saturday Night This is a song about going for a night on the town.  It was used in a movie called “Rancho Deluxe,” released in 1975 starring Jeff Bridges and Sam Waterston playing cattle rustlers in Livingston Montana.  It also appeared in the 1978 movie "FM."

Cheeseburger in Paradise Here's the big hit from the album.  It reached number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100, and is the lead song from Buffett's greatest hits album.  The lyrics describe a guy trying to eat healthy, but who can't resist the temptation of the cheeseburger.  The song itself was inspired by an event where Buffett was caught out in the Caribbean on a boat with a broken icebox, where he had to live for several days off canned food and peanut butter.

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Theme to the motion picture “Which Way Is Up?” by Stargard This comedy starring Richard Pryor was a remake of an Italian comedy from 1972 called “The Seduction of Mimi.”

STAFF PICKS:

Psycho Killer by The Talking Heads  Wayne's staff pick is straight from the CBGB club in Now York City, and is the first "hit" from the Punk/Alternative/New Wave band.  While it didn't make it into the top 40, it did crack the top 100.  The lyrics represent the thoughts of a serial killer who has already killed and probably will not stop.

What's Your Name by Lynyrd Skynyrd Rob features a song written by Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington inspired by a time when the band was drinking at a hotel bar, got kicked out, and went to a hotel room instead while trying to pick up a groupie.  The incident did not happen in Boise, however.  Lynyrd Skynyrd had been tragically affected by a plane crash by the time this song was released.

Serpentine Fire by Earth, Wind & Fire Lynch brings us some 70's funk and horns.  The name "serpentine fire" comes from a yoga pose.  The song hit number 1 on the R&B charts and number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Earth, Wind & Fire is known for hits upbeat, positive funk.

Lovely Day by Bill Withers Bruce redeems another great song from Big Pharma.  Before Astra Zeneca used this to advertise their drug Farxiga, it was a hit from Bill Withers' 1977 album "Menagerie."  Withers wrote this song with Skip Scarborough, and it went to number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number 6 on the Billboard R&B Chart.  Withers holds a note for 18 seconds, the longest held note for any top 40 singe.

NSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

Main Theme from the motion picture “Don” by Kalyanji-Anandji We finish up this week's podcast with an Indian composer duo writing for a Bollywood film..

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NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Montrose was considered to be America's answer to Led Zeppelin in the early 70's.  Founder Ronnie Montrose had played with a number of musicians including Van Morrison, Boz Scaggs, and with Edgar Winter on the hit singles “Frankenstein” and “Free Ride.”  He formed the band bearing his name with bassist/keyboardist Alan Fitzgerald, drummer Denny Carmassi, and front man Sammy Hagar.  Paper Money is the group's second album, and was the band's highest-charting release, reaching number 65 on the Billboard 200 chart.  

This follow-up to their self-titled debut album took on a broader style, with a stronger range of rhythm and dynamics while downplaying the heavy metal feel of the first album.  Ronnie Montrose thought that the heavier music was a passing thing.  However Montrose was just ahead of its time, and heavy metal was about to explode.  Ronnie Montrose had a strict no-drug use policy for concerts, as he wanted all the members to be in top shape on their instruments and vocals for the show.

The sessions for Paper Money were often marred by the deteriorating relationship between Montrose and Hagar.  Soon after this album release, Sammy Hagar would leave the band for a solo career and eventual duties as the front man for Van Halen. Fitzgerald would go on to play for Night Ranger, and as an offstage keyboard player for Van Halen in the 90's.  Carmassi would play for a number of artists including Heart, Whitesnake, Al Stewart, Kim Carnes, and Joe Walsh, as well as his own solo work, placing him on more recorded albums than Sammy Hagar.

Wayne features this rocking album for today's podcast.

Starliner We start this podcast with an instrumental with a space theme — prior to Star Wars.  This song is the final track for side 1 of the album.  

Spaceage Sacrifice Another space themed song, this one was written by Hagar and Montrose.  Although considered “sci-fi rock,” the song itself is a bit critical of the effort and money spent to go to the moon when troubles remained unsolved on Earth.  "Don't think twice spaceage sacrifice.  Well, let's go back when it all was starting.  A man on the moon and people were starving."

Paper Money  This track is a critique of the monetary system in a time of inflation.  “Take away all my silver, take away my gold, and hand me a stack of paper, paper money don't hold.”  This one is the first single from the album, and the concluding track.

I've Got the Fire Wayne saves his favorite track for last.  It is a hard-driving song with explosive energy.  This one may benefit from the concealed tension between Montrose's edgy tone and Hagar's vocal virtuosity.  It would be the last one the band recorded before Hagar left the band to pursue a solo career.

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Puttin' On the Ritz by (from the motion picture “Young Frankenstein”) Mel Brooks' black and white comedy classic featured Dr. Frankenstein (pronounced FRAHNK-en-steen) and the monster in Broadway-styled number.

STAFF PICKS:

You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet by Bachman Turner Overdrive Rob get's the staff picks rolling with a Canadian band's number 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.  The song was intended as a joke for Randy Bachman's brother Gary, who had a stutter.  It was used as a “work track” to set up the mics and amps in the studio, but it wound up being a hit after it was included on their “Not Fragile” album.

Killer Queen by Queen Bruce's staff pick is the first U.S. hit from Queen.  It went to number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, and is off their third album “Sheer Heart Attack.”  It is the first Queen song to incorporate the cabaret-style and harmonies that we know today as the quintessentially Queen sound.  The lyrics are about a high class call girl.

Longfellow Serenade by Neil Diamond  Lynch brings us a song inspired by an incident in school where Diamond used the poetry of Henry W. Longfellow to woo a girl.  It went to number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the Adult Contemporary charts.  It is off Diamond's ninth studio album, "Serenade."

I've Got the Music In Me by Kiki Dee and the Kiki Dee Band Wayne wraps up the staff picks on a positive note.  The lyrics describe how the singer will not be deterred because they have the music in them.  Kiki Dee is best known in the U.S. for her duet with Elton John, but is better known in England as a singer of "blue eyed soul."  She was the first white British artist to be signed by Motown.

NOVELTY TRACK:

Kung Fu Fighting by Carl Douglas Interest in martial arts in the early 70's inspired this song which would go to number 1 on the US, UK, Canadian, and Australian charts.

Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?”

NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Although one of the most successful artists and songwriters of the 60's, Marvin Gaye had not released a solo studio album for two years prior to In the Groove, his eighth studio album.  Instead he had been releasing duet performances with artists like Kim Weston and Tammi Terrell.  Gaye was one of the primary artists shaping what would become the Motown sound, first as a session player, then as a solo artist and songwriter.  

Gaye formed a vocal quartet called The Marquees shortly after leaving the Air Force in the late 50's.  The Marquees performed in the D.C. area, connecting with Bo Diddley who co-wrote their first (and only) single, "Wyatt Earp."  The group disbanded in 1960, and Marvin Gaye relocated to Detroit, connected with Barry Gordy around Christmas of 1960, and signing with Tamla, a Motown subsidiary.  By 1962 Gaye was a success as a singer, session musician, and writer.

In the Groove was released in August of 1968, and would see its third single, I Heard It Through the Grapevine released in October.  This single would become Gaye's first number 1 hit.  October would also bring tragedy, when his vocal duet partner Tammi Terrell collapsed from exhaustion into Gaye's arms, later being diagnosed with a brain tumor which would eventually claim her life.  

After the monster international success of I Heard It Through the Grapevine, the entire album would be re-released under that title.  The album was both a critical and commercial success.

John Lynch brings us this soulful selection.

I Heard It Through the Grapevine Although one of Gaye's most successful songs, he was not the first artist to record or release the song.  It was intended to be released by Gladys Knight & the Pips, who did so in September 1967.  The Miracles also recorded the song and released it in 1968.  Gaye's version would become the classic rendition.

You This was the first single from the album, released in December of 1967, months before the album.  The song was about a man wanting to keep his relationship with a woman secret, because she was upper class and he was working class.  It featured a rougher Gaye vocal part than was typical of his previous songs, and  went to number 34 on the pop charts.

Chained The second single would be released in August 1968, the same month as the album release.  Frank Wilson wrote and produced this song which went to number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100.  The lyrics are about a man pining for a woman he lost and wants back.

Some Kind of Wonderful This deeper cut was not released as a single.  The Drifters originally released this song in 1961, and it was written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King.  Many artists would cover this one, including Carole King and most recently Michael Bublé. 

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Barbarella by The Bob Crewe Generation (from the motion picture “Barbarella”)  Jane Fonda's cult classic of bad science fiction films would appear in the theaters in October 1968.

STAFF PICKS:

On the Road Again by Canned Heat  Bruce starts the staff picks with a blues and harmonica jam off Canned Heat's second album “Boogie with Canned Heat.”  The group takes its name from a 1928 Tommy Johnson song entitled "Canned Heat Blues."  Canned Heat's lead vocalist was Bob "The Bear" Hite, but Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson takes the lead for this song.  

Chewy Chewy by Ohio Express Rob features a happy bubblegum pop number from Mansfield, Ohio.  Ohio Express consisted of session musicians who put out the music for Super K Productions.  The group had a previous hit in "Yummy, Yummy, Yummy."

Sunshine Help Me by Spooky Tooth  Wayne brings us an acid rock deep cut written by Gary Wright of “Dream Weaver” fame.  The song itself is about letting the sunshine clear the singer's mind.  Spooky Tooth was a blues/psychedelic band from England active between 1967 and 1974.  This song was not a hit, but did appear on their greatest hits album.

Hey Jude by The Beatles Lynch's staff picks is  one of the Beatles' biggest hits, though it was not released on a studio album at the time. It is also the longest single in the Beatles' catalog, running 7:11, the longest single ever released at the time.  It was written by Paul McCartney for John and Cynthia Lennon's son Julian when John and Cynthia were going through a divorce.  

NOVELTY TRACK:

Mr. Tambourine Man by the William Shatner Somehow Shatner was able to put this song in the hopper while simultaneously starring as Captain Kirk in the original run of the TV show, Star Trek.  We'll let you decide whether he missed his calling as a rock star.

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NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Candlebox had a seemingly immediate success with their self-titled debut album in July 1993.  The group had formed in November of 1990, with lead singer Kevin Martin, guitarist Peter Klett, bassist Bardi Martin, and drummer Scott Mercado as the founding members.  They performed in clubs around Seattle, a musical mecca at the time that benefitted from the grunge movement, and released an EP that got the attention of the new Maverick Records.  Maverick would sign Candlebox, and the group would be the studio's successful act.  

While grunge was still king in Seattle and on the air waves at the time, Candlebox does not neatly fit into that category.  Some of the band's work has a grunge feel, but it tends towards a more mainstream hard rock sound in general.  The debut album Candlebox would peak at number 7 on the Billboard album charts, and would see a number of singles hit both the radio and video charts.  The strength of their songs would land them as openers for Rush and Metallica, and they would be headlining their own tours by the end of 1994.

Despite the rapid success, the popularity of Candlebox was a slower burn at the time.  The album did not enter the top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart until August of 1994, and initial reviews were mixed.  However, the album would remain on the chart for 104 weeks, and would be certified 4x platinum in the United States.

Candlebox would release three albums with Maverick Records before running into disputes, and they disbanded in 2000.  A revised lineup would reappear in 2006, and a new album would be released in 2007.  As of this podcast Candlebox has released seven albums and is still performing today.

Rob brings us this debut album for this week's podcast.

You The second single was inspired by the time that lead singer Kevin Martin gave up drug dependency.  He had seen Midnight Oil in concert and dedicated himself to becoming a rock singer.  The single peaked at number 78 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 6 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks charts.  The song in 6/8 time alternates between a heavy rock feel on the chorus and a softer portion in the verses.

Don't You This song leads off the album, and is a deeper cut that was not released as a single.  It really rocks from the start.  “And I could break your heart down as I tell you that you've burned out.  Don't you?  You want to let it go, yeah - you want to let it go, yeah.”

Rain Another deeper cut with a very bluesy feel at the start that continues for several minutes before picking up the pace.  The lyrics are about a woman leaving the singer, and the regret the singer feels at the loss.  About three minutes in, it changes to a more rocking jazz section with a staccato scat meter in the lyrics.

Far Behind The third single would be the big hit from the album.  Their most commercially successful song went to number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 4 on the Album Rock chart.  It was written as a tribute to Andrew Wood, a singer from the Seattle group Mother Love Bone, who died of a heroin overdose in 1990.  The lyrics are written from the perspective of the drug that killed him.  

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Saturday Night by Ned's Atomic Dustbin (from the motion picture “So I Married an Axe Murderer”)   The Mike Myers dark comedy featured this cover of the Bay City Rollers' song on its soundtrack.

STAFF PICKS:

Long Day In the Universe by Darling Buds  Wayne opens up the staff picks with a deeper cut, and one that also appeared on the soundtrack to “So I Married an Axe Murderer.”  The Darling Buds are from South Wales, forming in 1986 and disbanding in 1993.  Andrew Lewis, the lead singer, tells about a woman that misses her man so much she can't wait for him to come home. 

Dream All Day by The Posies   Bruce's staff pick is another Seattle band.  This song hit number 4 on the Modern Rocks Chart and number 17 on the Mainstream Rocks chart.  Band members and songwriters Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow wrote this about dreaming of accomplishing things that the singer either can't or won't achieve. 

Have I Told You Lately by Rod Stewart  Rock legend Rod Stewart begins his crooner phase with this cover of the Van Morrison classic from 1989.  Lynch brings this staff pick which hit number 5 on the US and UK charts.  Morrison originally wrote these lyrics inspired by spirituality and religious conviction.   

Zooropa by U2 Rob reminds us just how big U2 was at the time with his staff pick.   The “Zoo TV Tour” was a huge production, highlighting the commercialism of the time.  “Be a winner, eat to get slimmer.”  This song takes the form of a suite of three movements.  The album of the same name was produced by Brian Eno.

COMEDY TRACK:

Achy Breaky Song by “Weird” Al Yankovic  We close out today's podcast with Weird Al's parody of the Billy Ray Cyrus country hit which was constantly played at the time.

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NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Welcome to the middle of the second British Invasion!  John Howard Jones was born in Southampton, in southern England to Welsh parents.  He grew up in Wales, moved to Canada when he was a teenager, and returned to the UK in the mid 70's where he attended the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.  The was the oldest of four boys, all of which became musicians, and started piano at the age of 7.  

Dream Into Action is Howard Jones' second studio album, and was released in this month.  It went to number 10 on the Billboard 200, and number 2 on the UK albums chart.  Rupert Hine was the producer, who also produced albums for Rush.  Howard's brother Martin Jones plays bass on this album, and he has the group Afrodiziak as backing vocals on a number of tracks.  Jones had a successful debut release in 1984 called "Human Lib," and "Dream Into Action" would be an even bigger hit.  

Howard Jones has a piano and keyboards-driven sound, and his lyrics are quite positive.  Jones believes that his positivity and depth tends to create a negative perception in the media, stating that "what's 'cool' is often very shallow and transient." 

Jones is still putting out albums today.  He released an album called Transform in 2019, and one called Dialogue in 20222.

Bruce brings this synth-heavy 80's album to the podcast.

Like to Get to Know You Well This track preceded the album by over six months.  It came out as a single in August of 1984 as the Summer Olympics were kicking off in Los Angeles, and was dedicated to "the original spirit of the Olympic Games."  It was included in a remix album called "the 12" Album" in November 1984 before being included in this studio album.

Assault and Battery This is a deeper cut which was played on an episode of Miami Vice.  The lyrics are about the horrors of eating meat - Jones was a vegetarian at the time, and is a vegan today.  This songs reminds us of Styx and Elton John with the keyboard work.  

Life In One Day The third single from the album (or fourth, depending upon how you count "Like to Get to Know You Well") went to number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100.  The lyrics are about not rushing through life, but taking time to enjoy the place where you are.  The British vocal group Afrodiziak can be heard contributing backing vocals to this song. 

Things Can Only Get Better The first single from the album is the big hit.  It went to number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Afrodiziak contributes backing vocals to this track as well.  It is a very deliberately positive song, encouraging the listener who is down on his luck to keep going, and to keep looking for better days ahead.

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Theme to the from the television series "Moonlighting" by Al Jarreau Bruce Willis launched his career in this detective romance comedy that starred Willis and Cybill Shepherd.

STAFF PICKS:

Don't Come Around Here No More by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers Rob features a song written by Tom Petty and Dave Stewart (from the Eurythmics).  This was the main hit from the sixth studio album "Southern Accents."  It is a break-up song partially inspired by a conversation Stewart overheard between Joe Walsh and Stevie Nicks.  The Alice In Wonderland-themed video is a must-see.

We Are the World by U.S.A. for Africa Lynch brings us the ultimate supergroup.  This was a benefit single for victims of famine in Africa, and raised over $60 million.  The song was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and Quincey Jones produced it.  Musicians appearing in the band were a veritable "who's who" in the music world, including performers as diverse as Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Willie Nelson, Steve Perry, and Ray Charles.

White Lies by Jason & the Scorchers  Wayne's staff pick is off the group's first full length album, "Lost and Found."  Jason & the Scorchers' high energy and country twang led them to be described as "cowpunk."  The lyrics describe a couple in a bad relationship.  "Take these chains and set me free, release me from this misery.  Now, don't you waste my time with your alibis 'cause your heart can't hide what I see in your eyes."

One Night in Bangkok by Murray Head Bruce goes to the theater for his staff pick.  This song is from a concept album and musical called "Chess," written by Benny Andersson and  Bjorn Ulvaeus (formerly of ABBA).  The musical is about a Cold War-era chess tournament between two grandmasters, one American and one Soviet.  Murray Head performs the spoken verse and Anders Glenmark sings the chorus.

COMEDY TRACK:

I'm Kissin' You Goodbye by Ray Stevens We finish up this week's podcast with a break-up song in a style only Ray Stevens can deliver.

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NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

When you explore the music of The Yardbirds you are really observing the evolution of what would become hard rock.  This group started in 1963 and over its time would engage the talents of three of the greatest guitarists of the rock world:  Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page.  Additional musicians in the group through 1968 were Keith Relf on vocals and harmonica, Jim McCarty on drums, Chris Dreja on rhythm guitar, and Paul Samwell-Smith on bass.  The group was founded in the blues, but over time would explore psychedelic rock, pop rock, and hard rock, with instrumental jams being a signature sound throughout their tenure.

Having a Rave Up, also known as "Having a Rave Up with the Yardbirds," is their second American album, and showcases two of their virtuoso guitarists.  The album has one side of studio recordings in which Jeff Beck is the guitarist.  Side two is a compilation of live performances featuring Eric Clapton on guitar.  During a time when most songs were expected to run about three minutes, the Yardbirds would extend these out in live performances to six or seven minutes with instrumental jams known as "rave ups."  The combination of studio and live work is an excellent introduction to The Yardbirds, as the band's strength was in their live performances.  Their studio efforts would improve with the experimentation of Jeff Beck.

Jimmy Page would become their guitarist in mid-1966 until their split-up in mid-1968.  He would form a group as "The New Yardbirds" shortly thereafter, which would be renamed shortly thereafter to Led Zeppelin.

Rob brings us this study in the origins of rock for this week's podcast. 

Heart Full of Soul This song was the first single released by The Yardbirds after Jeff Beck joined the group.  It was written by Graham Gouldman, who would later be the co-lead singer and bassist of 10cc.  The band wanted to include a sitar in the instrumentation for this song, but when things didn't work out for that, Beck experimented with his guitar to duplicate the eastern sound of the sitar instead.

You're a Better Man than I The opening song from the album is also known as "Mister, You're a Better Man than I."  It was written by brothers Mike and Brian Hugg, and is an attempt at a more folk rock song.  The socially conscious lyrics take aim at the hypocrisy of society and politics, stating that you shouldn't judge a person based on superficial appearances or education.

Smokestack Lightning The live opener to side two is a cover of an old blues song recorded by American blues artist Howlin' Wolf in 1956.  The inspiration for the title came from watching trains go by at night and seeing the sparks come out of the smokestack.

The Train Kept a-Rollin' While Aerosmith's cover may be more famous, this jump blues piece was originally performed by Tiny Bradshaw in 1951.  The Yardbirds played this song during their first American tour in 1965, and Sam Phillips recorded it for them in Memphis later that year.  It closes out side 1 of the album.

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Main theme from the television action comedy "Batman" This campy superhero show premiered this month.

STAFF PICKS:

Don't Think Twice, It's Alright by The Wonder Who? Bruce begins the staff picks with a disguise group.  The Four Seasons used the name "The Wonder Who?" for four records released from 1965 to 1967, including this one.  Frankie Valli wasn't happy with his vocals on this song, and he recorded it with a "joke" falsetto voice while trying to break the tension in the studio.  

All Your Love by John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers Lynch brings us a blues song originally recorded by American blues musician Otis Rush in 1958.  Multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter John Mayall led this group, which included Eric Clapton on guitar and John McVie on bass.  This single is the lead-off track to the debut album "Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton," also known as "The Beano Album" because Clapton is reading a children's comic called "The Beano" on the front cover.

My Generation by the Who Wayne's staff pick is the hit that started the trajectory for the Who.  Guitarist Pete Townshend wrote this song about young rebellion.  Roger Daltrey incorporates a stutter in his vocals to sound like a British mod on speed.  While this song would reach number 2 on the UK charts, it topped out at number 74 on the US charts.

Day Tripper by the Beatles Rob features a well known song from the Beatles, recorded during the "Rubber Soul" album sessions but not included on the album itself.  It was released as a double A-side single along with "We Can Work it Out" during a time when the Beatles were under pressure to release a single in time for the 1965 Christmas season.  

COMEDY TRACK:

The Lurch by Ted Cassidy Ted Cassidy played Lurch on "The Addams Family," and also performed this novelty song.  

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Although Ike & Tina Turner had been performing since 1960 and were well known for the energy of their performances, it wasn't until 1965 and the release of Live!  The Ike & Tina Turner Show that they received national recognition.  This album featured the best live performances of the previous year.

Tina Turner was born Martha Nell Bullock (aka Anna Mae Bullock), and was given the name Tina Turner as a stage name when she toured as a feature with Ike Turner in 1960.  They were not married at the time, and Ike Turner had the name "Tina Turner" trademarked, so that he could use another singer performing under the same name if the singer we now know as Tina Turner ever left the band.  Ike and Tina would be married after the birth of their son in 1960.  Ike Turner had been married 5 times before meeting Tina.

Most of this album features Tina Turner on lead vocals with Ike performing guitar on stage, and a full band behind them including a horn section (The Kings of Rhythm) and backup singers (The Ikettes).  Ike Turner has lead vocals on a few songs, but Tina Turner was the real draw.  

Ike and Tina Turner had their infamous divorce in 1978.  Tina retained songwriter royalties from songs she had written, two Jaguar cars, furs and jewelry, and - perhaps most importantly - her stage name.

Wayne features this high energy live album for today's podcast.

Something's Got a Hold On Me The song that leads off side 2 of the album is a cover originally performed by Etta James in 1962.  James co-wrote the song along with Leroy Kirkland and Pearl Woods, and the original went to number 4 on the Billboard Hot R&B Sides chart.

Finger Poppin' Ike Turner wrote this original song which leads off the album.  The name refers to snapping fingers.  While the rest of the album is either covers or songs written by other people, this is the only one with writing credits for Ike Turner.

Tight Pants (High Heel Sneakers) This track is a cover originally written and performed by Tommy Tucker (aka Robert Higginbotham) in 1963  This blues classic was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame as a "classic of blues recording" in 2017.  Many musicians covered this one in addition to Ike & Tina Turner, including Johnny Rivers, Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, and even David Cassidy.

To Tell the Truth Ray Charles penned this high energy song, which concludes the album.

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

The Sound of Music by Julie Andrews (from the motion picture “The Sound of Music”) This musical starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer was set in Salzburg, Austria, loosely based on the von Trapp Family Singers.

STAFF PICKS:

People Get Ready by The Impressions Bruce takes us to church with this gospel-based hit.  The Impressions formed in 1958 in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  Front Man Curtis Mayfield wrote this song, which went to number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100.  It reflects both gospel and politics, as Mayfield was becoming politically active at the time.  A number of covers have been performed of this song, perhaps most famously by Rod Stewart and Jeff Beck.

This Diamond Ring by Gary Lewis & the Playboys Rob's staff pick features the son of comedian Jerry Lewis.  Gary Lewis & the Playboys were funded by Gary's mother, and got their start in a gig at Disneyland.  This song about a broken relationship was on the charts for 12 weeks.

Ain't That Peculiar by Marvin Gaye  Lynch's features Gaye's second US million seller.  It was written by Smokey Robinson in London with Miracles guitarist Marv Tarplin, specifically for Marvin Gaye as a follow-up to his previous hit "I'll Be Doggone."  This song is about the torment of a painful relationship.

Tired of Waiting for You by The Kinks  Wayne wraps up the staff picks with this single which went to number 1 in the UK and number 6 in the US.  It is the group's highest-charting single in the US - tied with "Come Dancing" which would not reach this level on the charts until 1983.  The song chronicles the woes of a boy being strung along by a girl who has him under her spell.

INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

Apache '65 by Davie Allan & the Arrows This close out this week's podcast with a surfing instrumental.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Weezer released their debut studio album in May of 1994, often known as the Blue Album due to its blue cover.  The band formed in Los Angeles in 1992 as grunge was on its ascendency.  Despite a sound that we identify with grunge today, singer/guitarist Rivers Cuomo, drummer Patrick Wilson, guitarist Jason Cropper, and bassist Matt Sharp struggled to find an audience in the midst of the grunge movement.  They were signed to A&R after recording a demo late in 1992, and would find success in the alternate scene by the time their debut was released.  Cuomo had asthma when he was younger, and his dad jokingly called him “Weezer,” which became the name of the band.

Cars alumnus Ric Ocasek produced the album after Weezer had been persuaded not to self-produce.  While recording the album, guitarist Jason Cropper found out that his girlfriend was pregnant.  This led to difficulties and erratic  behavior that led to Cuomo firing him.  Guitarist Brian Bell was brought in as a replacement, and almost all of Croppers guitar parts were re-recorded after the album was already completed.  

It only took seven months for this album to be certified gold by the RIAA, and it was also a critical success.  Many consider the “Blue Album” to be one of the best albums of the 1990's.  You may call it grunge, or alternative, or even geek rock, but it is great music.

Founder Rivers Cuomo struggled with the fame of the group, and it took a long time for him to reconcile his antipathy toward the “rock lifestyle” with the success of the band and its music.

Rob features this quirky album for the podcast.

Undone - The Sweater Song The first single was originally going to have a number of sound clips sampled into the song, but the group went a different direction after considering the licensing costs.  Although it was envisioned as a sad song, fans found it hilarious.  “The Sweater Song” was added to the title when fans began referring to it by that name. 

Buddy Holly Many will recall this song from the iconic video involving the band being inserted into an episode of the 70's sitcom “Happy Days.”  It was released as the second single on September 7, 1994, which would have been Buddy Holly's 58th birthday.  It went to number 2 on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart.  Songwriter Rivers Cuomo didn't want to include this track on the album at first, thinking it was not representative of the Weezer sound.

In The Garage This deeper cut has a deliberately fuzzy “garage” feel.  Rivers Cuomo and the band got its start in the garage, and the lyrics reflect time spent in the garage with nerd culture including Dungeons and Dragons, comics, and rock bands like Kiss.

Say It Ain't So The third and final single from the album was inspired by an incident in high school where Cuomo found a bottle of beer in the refrigerator at his home.  He believed alcoholism had broken up his parents' marriage, and was afraid that the same would happen with his mother and step-father. 

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Bustin' Surfboards by The Tornadoes (from the motion picture “Pulp Fiction”)   John Travolta showed us he still has the moves long after "Saturday Night Fever" in this Quentin Tarantino film.

STAFF PICKS:

Am I Wrong by Love Spit Love  Bruce starts this week's staff picks with the Psychedelic Furs’ alumni Richard and Tim Butler in a new band.  Guitarist Richard Fortus and drummer Frank Ferrer completed the band.  The name comes from a 1991 performance art exhibit protesting government censorship.  The song itself is a bittersweet reflection on an ended relationship.

Wild Night by John Mellencamp   Lynch brings us a fast-paced cover of Van Morrison's classic.  Mellencamp is joined on this piece by singer/songwriter, bassist, and rapper Meshell Ndegeocello, who contributed the female harmonies.  This single from his album “Dance Naked” would see Mellencamp reaching number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Tomorrow by Silverchair  Wayne features a second wave grunge act.  The song is about a rich man who takes his easy life for granted until a streak of bad luck forces him to endure an overnight stay in a sketchy old hotel.  The lead singer of this group was 15 years old at the time that this Australian group hit the charts with this song. 

Get Over It by The Eagles Rob finishes off the staff picks with the comeback hit from the Eagles.  After a 14-year hiatus, the group came back together to release the part-live, part-studio album Hell Freezes Over.  This song reflects the frustration of seeing so many people take a victim mentality. 

INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly  by Blues Traveler  We close out today's podcast with an instrumental number off the Blues Traveler album, "four."

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Long before the Twilight books and movies made vampires cool, the motion picture The Lost Boys was a hit.  This dark comedy/action drama centers around Michael and Sam Emerson and their experiences with a biker gang who are secretly vampires living in the California beach town of Santa Carla.  When Michael is drawn into the influence of the vampires, he must make a choice between becoming a vampire himself or fighting the conversion by killing the head vampire.  The name comes from the Peter Pan stories, because much like the lost boys in that tale, vampires never grow up.  The cast included Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Patric, Corey Haim, and Corey Feldman, and was a box office hit.

The film also created a hit with The Lost Boys:  Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.  Featuring a number of notable rock stars and groups including INXS, Foreigner's Lou Gramm, Echo & the Bunnymen, and The Who's Roger Daltrey, it spawned multiple singles.  The soundtrack contains both original songs and covers, all either alluding to events in the movie or to what could be considered “vampire culture” - lostness, staying up at night, and similar characteristics.  

The film is credited for changing the perception of vampires to a more youthful and appealing monster.  Subsequent adaptations of the vampire genre which would be inspired by the film include movies as diverse as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and the mockumentary film “What We Do in the Shadows.”

John Lynch was up all night “staking his claim” on this podcast feature.

Cry Little Sister by Gerard McMann Singer-songwriter Gerard McMahon wrote this anthem under the pseudonym Gerard McMann.  It would be considered the theme for the movie, and was specifically written for the film.  McMann was thinking of a Gotham-like image in which you have to turn to faith in order to escape the doom in the night.

Lost in the Shadows by Lou Gramm Gramm steps out from the shadows of his group Foreigner for this solo effort.  The video for this song would feature clips from the film.  Fuzzy guitar distortion and harmonica drive this deep cut, and was also written specifically for the movie.  

Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me by Roger Daltrey The Elton John hit is covered by Who front man Daltrey, and the allusion to vampires is pretty clear to see.  The film ends with morning breaking and the sun coming up, and Daltrey is singing this song as the credits roll.

I Still Believe by Tim Cappello The Call's song is covered by saxophonist Cappello, who also makes a cameo where he is playing the song on the boardwalk.  The lyrics are about the 40 days of fasting that Jesus undertook at the start of His ministry, and the reference to belief plays into the theme of faith versus giving into darkness that runs through this film.

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Once Upon a Time...Storybook Love by Mark Knopfler (from the motion picture “The Princess Bride”)  It would be inconceivable for us to pass up this theme from the Rob Reiner movie which was in the theaters in the fall of 1987. 

STAFF PICKS:

One Slip by Pink Floyd  After the departure of Roger Waters, Pink Floyd released the album "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" with only David Gilmour and Nick Mason listed as members.  Bruce brings us this staff pick which was co-written by Gilmour and Phil Manzanera of Roxy Music.  It is about unintended consequences of impulsive action, in this case an unintended pregnancy. 

Hourglass by Squeeze Rob features the debut single from Squeeze's seventh album, “Babylon and On.”  The fast-paced chorus is distinctive and catchy.  Songwriters Chris Dilford and Glenn Tilbrook typically wrote the lyrics and music respectively in separate sessions (much like Bernie Taupin and Elton John), but collaborated in the same room on this song.  The memorable video is full of surrealism and optical illusions.

Luka by Suzanne Vega  Wayne takes an uncharacteristically softer and slower pick with singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega's song about child abuse.  The song was actually written prior to Vega's first album but didn't make its studio debut until her second album, “Solitude Standing."” The name comes from a boy who played in front of Vega's building and stood apart from the other children.  

Bad by Michael Jackson Lynch brings us the title track to Michael Jackson's massively successful follow-up album to “Thriller.”  Jackson wrote this song in an attempt to change his persona to a tough guy.  The video was directed by Martin Scorsese, and Prince auditioned for the video.  He departed as soon as he read the line, "your butt is mine," and Wesley Snipes would take the role.

NOVELTY TRACK:

Wipeout by the Fat Boys featuring The Beach Boys We finish off with this unlikely pairing of beatbox rappers of the 80's and beach music founders of the 60's. 

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

The Beatles were at the height of their popularity, and surprisingly near the end of their time as a group when they recorded Abbey Road, their eleventh studio album.  In fact, it would be the last album the group started recording, as Let it Be was mostly recorded prior to the Abbey Road sessions even though it wasn't finished until after Abbey Road was released.  John, Paul, George, and Ringo were iconic by this time, though all were still under 30 years of age.  

The recording of this album was more harmonious than the Get Back/Let It Be sessions earlier in the same year, but they were not free of conflict.  John Lennon did not perform on several tracks, and would have quietly left the group prior to the album's release.

The album is a bit of a throwback to a previous style of production, prior to the conflict-ridden processes  that had typified Get Back and The White Album.  Producer George Martin agreed to this, but on the condition that all group members - especially John Lennon - let him produce the record as the earlier records were produced, and that everyone maintain discipline for the process.  The result actually faced mixed reviews at the time of its release, though with the passage of time it has attained its present status as one of the greatest rock albums of all time.

The cover is the iconic picture of the band members walking across a zebra crossing outside Abbey Road Studios.

Special guest and friend of the show Eric Von Haessler from “The Von Haessler Doctrine” on WSB Radio joins us to present this album - one of his all-time favorites.  Eric recommends the version from the 1987 CD, as newer versions have been remixed to the detriment of the album.

Come Together The opening track is a bit of a continuation of the earlier song “Let's Get It Together” which John Lennon wrote for Timothy Leary when he was campaigning for the California gubernatorial race against Ronald Reagan.  The song’s lyrics are quite surrealistic, but the title may represent the desire of the band to get together in harmony for the sake of the music.

Here Comes the Sun George Harrison wrote this incredibly positive song in Eric Clapton's garden during a break from business meetings for the Beatles.  John Lennon was recovering from a car accident when the track was recorded, and did not perform on the track.  Believe it or not, this was not released as a single from the album!

Maxwell's Silver Hammer Paul McCartney wrote this song after traveling to India in 1968 and originally wanted to record it for the White Album, but the group thought it was “too complicated” and pushed it off until this album.  McCartney further annoyed the others by insisting on a perfect performance of the work.  The multiple takes were, in the words of George Harrison, “a real drag.”

I Want You (She's So Heavy) Lennon wrote this song about his relationship with Yoko Ono.  The finished product is a combination of two different recording attempts, one made just after the Get Back sessions with Billy Preston, and the other made during the Abbey Road sessions. The phrase “heavy” at the time meant deep or significant, and in no way related to Ono's weight!

 **We opted to cover 5 Staff Picks and did not feature an Entertainment Track on this podcast**

STAFF PICKS:

Me by Otis Rush  Wayne starts this week's staff picks with a Chicago blues artist that got his start in the early 50's.  This song is about a guy who attributes his position on hard work and self-determination.  “I paid my own way, gave stuff for free 'cause the only true friend I ever had was me.” Duane Allman is on guitar on this track.

Oh What a Night by the Dells Bruce's staff pick is a remake of a number 4 R&B hit from 1956, also by The Dells.  This updated version went to number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.  A number of covers of this song have been done through the years, including by Sly Stallone and the Biscaynes, Tracey Ullman, Lester Bowie, Nick Kaman, and the Moonlighters.

Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond  This one is not a deep cut by any stretch of the imagination.  Rob features a sing-a-long song for many sports teams, including the Carolina Panthers, Iowa State, the University of Pittsburgh, and of course the Boston Red Sox.  The inspiration for the name was Caroline Kennedy, the last surviving child of President John Kennedy, though Diamond wrote it for his wife, Marsha.  He felt like a three-syllable name would fit the song better.

Green River by Creedence Clearwater Revival Lynch brings us some swamp rock from CCR.  Creedence Clearwater Revival had 14 top 10 hits within a 17-month period.  Although the group is from California, the song was written about the Green River near New Orleans and has a Louisiana feel.  Despite their success, acrimony within the group would lead to a breakup in 1972.

Sugar, Sugar by The Archies Eric Von Haessler finishes off the staff picks with a very different song from the Beatles.  The Archies were a fictional band based on the TV show and comic strip of the same name.  The music was recorded by session musicians.  A number of these “bubble gum pop” songs were successful, with a lighthearted, positive touch.  Jeff Barry and Andy Kim wrote this, and it hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks

INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

Baby, I Love You  by Otis Rush We exit the podcast by double-dipping on an instrumental blues number by Otis Rush.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

The debut album by The Sundays entitled Reading, Writing and Arithmetic introduced the dream pop band to the UK during a time between alternative waves.  The Smiths had broken up previously, but it would still be several years before the Manchester sound would take over the indie scene.  

Vocalist Harriet Wheeler and guitarist David Gavurin met at Bristol University.  The two became a couple, and they formed the band in 1988 after adding bassist Paul Brindley and drummer Patrick Hannan to the group.  Neither Wheeler nor Gavurin were pursuing music at the University - Wheeler studied English literature, and Gavurin studied Romance languages.

The Sundays' rise to popularity was quite rapid.  Their first single hit number 45 on the UK singles chart a year before the album was released.  Since the group had only been around for a year or so before that single was released, they didn't have a lot of material developed.  Wheeler and Gavurin were also perfectionists, and so they would not work to a deadline for the album.

The Sundays would produce 3 albums during the 1990s.  However, they never embraced the rock lifestyle.  The American tour for their second album (released in 1992) was cut short due to exhaustion and homesickness.  The third album wasn't released until 1997, by which time Gavurin and Wheeler had children and were beginning to settle down.  While they would continue to make songs in their own studio, no further albums would be released.

Bruce brings this group and their debut album to the podcast.

Can't Be Sure This is the debut single released in England which hit number 45 on the UK singles chart.  It is about desire, but not for a specific person or thing, more as a concept.  “And did you know desire's a terrible thing, the worst that I could find.  And did you know desire's a terrible thing, but I rely on mine.”

You're Not the Only One I Know This deeper cut is a break-up song. The lyrics seem to reflect a depressed singer who wants the guy to come back, but is too proud to talk to him about it.

Joy The last song on the album is also one of the last the group wrote for the album.  They actually wanted to name the album “Joy,” but someone had already used that title.  It is a little heavier than some of the other tracks but keeps the impressionistic feel. 

Here's Where the Story Ends US listeners will recognize this song as the hit, going to number 1 on the US Alternative Rock charts.  However, it was not released as a single in the UK because the group's record label was in financial trouble.  The lyrics are looking back on a past relationship.  "It's that little souvenir of a terrible year which makes my eyes feel sore.  Oh, I never should have said the books that you read were all I loved you for."

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Theme to the from the television series “Newhart” The second comedy series starring Bob Newhart ended this month with a big reveal that the entire show was a dream of Bob Newhart from the first series.

STAFF PICKS:

What It Takes by Aerosmith Lynch leads off the staff picks this week.  Aerosmith could do no wrong at the start of the 90's.  This fast ballad chronicles a guy breaking up with his girlfriend and wondering what it takes to get over their relationship.  The electric guitars helped remedy a concern that the original takes made the piece sound like a lovelorn, twangy country song.

Blues Before and After by The Smithereens Wayne features a song telling about a guy that is in love with a woman who only uses him for her own selfish gain, leaving him with the “blues before and after” their encounters.  This is off the Smithereen's album, “11,” which was their third studio album.  The name is a nod to a skit in the 80's mock-umentary film, “This Is Spinal Tap,” or perhaps the movie “Oceans 11.”

All For You by David Baerwald  Rob previously brought us “Welcome to the Boomtown” by David and David.  This song is from one of the David's after that group split up.  It is from Baerwald's debut studio solo album, “Bedtime Stories.”  Baerwald is a great storyteller, and most of his songs reflect this.  Singer songwriter Joni Mitchell was involved in this album.

Texas Twister by Little Feat Bruce picks up the pace with this boogie number.  Little Feat was formed in 1969, but this 90's iteration of the group is a little different.  Founder and front man Lowell George died in 1979, and was largely replaced in this formation of the band by Craig Fuller, founding member of Pure Prairie League.  This lead-off track from their ninth studio album is about picking up a girl and wondering if you will survive the evening.

NOVELTY TRACK:

Hanky Panky by Madonna Madonna's album inspired by the movie "Dick Tracy" (in which she starred) sported this spanking new single.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

We're going extra-deep this week with alternative rock group The Coolies.  The name comes from a derogatory term for 19th century Chinese immigrants who had to work hard for little pay.  The Atlanta based group was only around for about three years and produced two albums.  The first called "dig..?" was largely a collection of Simon and Garfunkel covers.  Their second album, Doug, is a rock opera with an odd premise.

Doug follows the rise and fall of a skinhead named Doug.  He kills a transvestite who happens to be a cook, and becomes rich by using the stolen recipe book.  The money is spent in riotous living, and in the end Doug ends up right where he began.

The Coolies vocalist and front man was Clay Harper.  Other band members included Jeb Baldwin, Rob Gal, Teddy Murray, and for this album had Frogg Jaguar Mellonball (most interesting artist name) on percussion.  He replaced Billy Burton, who was percussionist for the first album but was unavailable for “Doug” due to his commitments to The Swimming Pool Q's, another locally well known alternative band.

Harper would go on to be the owner of Fellini's Pizza and La Fonda Latina restaurants in Atlanta.  It is not believed that the events from the Rock Opera are in any way connected to Harper's future culinary success.

Wayne takes us on this deep cut journey to explore one of his favorite albums.

Ice Cold Soul The lead track introduces Doug, the main character of the rock opera.  He is a skin head with the Pledge of Allegiance tattooed on the side of his head.  He hangs out with his fellow skin heads stealing from people, beating them up, and generally being intimidating.  “Schlitz Malt Liquor is my favorite food and pissed off is my favorite mood.”

Pussy Cook The transvestite cook is warned not to walk where the “skin heads chill,” but failed to heed the warning.  After beating up and killing the cook, Doug and his gang “open up the purse to get a good look.  Got the money and the dope and the recipe book.”   There are a lot of similarities between this song and “Cooky Puss” by the Beastie Boys, which this song spoofs.

40 Foot Stretch This track continues the tale with Doug living large in the back of a stretch limousine.  We're beginning to question whether that recipe book was referencing food...or something else!  This song has a sound reminiscent of Miami Vice.

Crack Pipe Burning It is becoming obvious that things are not going to end happily ever after with Doug.  The reference at the end of the song to “I got blisters on my fingers” hearkens back to a statement Ringo Starr makes at the end of the Beatles song “Helter Skelter.”   

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Do You Love Me by the Contours (from the motion picture “Dirty Dancing”) This 1962 single made a resurgence after appearing in 1987's “Dirty Dancing” film, and was on the charts in the summer of 1988.

STAFF PICKS:

Rough Night in Jericho by Dreams So Real Bruce stays with the local flavor with his staff pick featuring a trio from Athens, Georgia.  The lead-off and title track from the band's second album hit number 28 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts.  The band produced three albums in total, with this song being their most successful single.  

Waiting for a Star to Fall by Boy Meets Girl  Rob brings us a more pop song than he normally features.  Keyboardist and vocalist George Merrill met singer Shannon Rubicam at a wedding where they were hired to perform, and later got married themselves, making it a “boy meets girl” story.  In addition to this song which made it to number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, the duo also wrote songs for other performers including “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” and “How Will I Know” by Whitney Houston.

Beds Are Burning by Midnight Oil  Lynch's staff pick is a protest song from Australia's Midnight Oil.  It criticizes the Australian government for its treatment of Aboriginal communities in forcing them off their lands.  Midnight Oil performed this song at the Sydney Olympics, and wore jackets that said, “sorry” after the Australian government would not apologize for the treatment of Aboriginal people.

This Note's for You by Neil Young & The Bluenotes  Wayne features another protest song, this time from Neil Young.  At the time many rock bands and artists were being recruited to appear in commercials for Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Budweiser, and other consumer goods and drinks.  MTV controversially banned the video for a period of time due to concerns from advertisers, proving Young's point.

INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

End Title (from "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?") by Alan Silvestri This live action/animation combination was a hit on the big screens in June of 1988.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Infinity is the album where Journey takes on the sound we recognize as that monster of a group.  This fourth studio album is the first to include vocalist and front man Steve Perry in the group.  The group had been looking for a stronger lead vocalist, and had originally settled on Robert Fleischman for that role.  However, Fleischman was soon replaced by Perry after “musical and management differences” were encountered.

In addition to Steve Perry, the band at the time included Neal Schon on guitar, Gregg Rolle on keyboards and vocals, Ross Valory on bass, and Aynsley Dunbar on percussion.  The album was produced by Roy Thomas Baker, who had previously worked with Queen.  Baker brought the layered sound and stacked vocals approach to the band, which is prominent in songs like “Feeling That Way” and “Anytime.” 

Infinity would mark a departure of Journey from their jazzy prog rock roots to a decidedly more accessible pop rock sound.  Much of their work prior to Infinity would disappear from the setlist over time.  This album would see both former lead singer Gregg Rolle and new lead singer Steve Perry sharing vocal duties on songs, but those lead duties would be almost exclusively Perry's going forward.

Rob brings us this iconic band and album as we celebrate our 250th Episode.

Lights The lead track from the album is an homage to San Francisco. It was inspired by a sunrise when Perry was at Griffith Park Observatory in Los Angeles, and saw the lights going down as the sun came up.  It was the third single off the album, but was only a minor hit at number 68 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Feeling That Way This track utilizes a prominent layered sound by having multiple vocalists sing each part of the harmony in unison, creating a much fuller sound.  It also sees Perry and Rolle taking turns with the lead vocal duties.  Ordinarily paired with “Anytime,” the following song on the album, we're cutting this one short in favor of some deeper cuts.

Somethin' to Hide An unusual deeper cut in an album filled with well-played songs, this track shows off Perry's high harmonies.  It was rarely played live because of the vocal difficulty.  The lyrics talk about a relationship where it is clear something is wrong, something hidden.  

Patiently Another (relatively) deep cut, Perry and Schon wrote this song.  It is Perry's reflection about life on the road, his excitement at being a part of the band, and the thrill of the fans.  This is the first song Steve Perry wrote for the group.  

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Intro to the television series “Project UFO”   This short-lived television series channeled the flying saucer/alien interest that was popular at the time.

STAFF PICKS:

Comin' Right Down On Top of Me by April Wine  Bruce gets the staff picks going with a deep track from April Wine's seventh studio album, First Glance.  The song is a blues epic which chronicles the singer's feeling of being so weighed down with bad luck that he can't breathe.  Myles Goodwyn who wrote this song was the only founding member left in the group by the time this album was created.

Just the Way You Are by Billy Joel   Lynch features a song dedicated to Joel's first wife and road manager, Elizabeth Weber.  It is the first single from his hugely successful fifth studio album, The Stranger, and it would win Grammy awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year in 1979.  Joel jokes about writing songs for his wives just before they get divorced.  Jazz saxophonist Phil Wood plays the sax solo part.

Northern Lights by Renaissance  Journey may have given up their prog rock roots, but Wayne brings us the prog rock with the most popular song Renaissance would produce.  This song off their eighth studio album, A Song for All Seasons, is about leaving the Northern Lights of England and fiancée Roy Wood while working in the U.S.  It went to number 10 in the UK, although it didn't break into the US top 40.

Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood by Santa Esmeralda Rob finishes the staff picks with a flamenco dance cover of Nina Simone's song.  The best known cover was done by the Animals, but Santa Esmeralda featured a 16-minute cover that took up an entire album side.  You may recall Santa Esmeralda's version was featured in one of the Kill Bill:  Volume 1  fight scenes.

COMEDY TRACK:

Short People by Randy Newman  Long before his association with Disney, Randy Newman released this novelty hit which exclaims, “Don't want no short people 'round here.” 

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

By the time they released The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, their second studio album, The Black Crowes were already a popular band.  This album would continue their dominance, achieving a record four album rock number one hits, and debuted at the number 1 spot on the Billboard 200 album chart as well.  The Black Crowes were originally an Atlanta band during a time when hair bands were on the way down and grunge was on its way up.  Their Southern rock and blues rock style seemed to hit a sweet spot with fans.

The name of the album is taken from the title of an 1835 shape note hymnal compiled by Baptist song leader William Walker.

Brothers Chris and Rich Robinson were joined in the band by  Johnny Colt on bass,  Steve Gorman on drums, and newcomer Marc Ford on guitar who replaced Jeff Cease.  Keyboardist Eddie Harsch was also added at this time and would later be named as a full band member.  

The Black Crowes have sold more than 30 million albums, and Melody Maker magazine calls them “The Most Rock 'n' Roll Rock 'n' Roll Band in the World.”  Though only Chris and Rich Robinson remain from the original band, the Black Crowes continue to tour and record as of 2023.

Lynch takes us on a journey down this blues rock album path.

Sting Me The opening track on the album was also the second commercial single released.  It has a female vocal backing that hearkens back to southern gospel choirs.  The lyrics are about a girl that keeps breaking the singer's heart, or it could also be about heroin use.  The Black Crowes were vocal proponents of legalization for recreational drugs.

Black Moon Creeping Fuzzy guitar distortion and harmonica drive this deep cut.  The lyrics are about people keeping secrets, and it has a little darker, funky edge.  “What you got buried in your back yard?  What secret do you sleep with when the black moon come?”

Remedy This is the big hit from the album, which reached number 48 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the Billboard album rock tracks chart.  It is about freedom, and was written in response to the war on drugs.  

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Theme song from the late night variety show “The Tonight Show”  Johnny Carson would take a final bow this month on his iconic late night show, to be replaced by Jay Leno. 

STAFF PICKS:

The Wild Life by Slaughter  Rob leads off the staff picks with a hair metal anthem.  This is from Slaughter's second album of the same name.  The band gets its name from its founder and front man Mark Slaughter.  The album debuted at number 8 on the Billboard 200 Album Charts.  Slaughter had five studio albums and three live albums.

Temple of Love by The Sisters of Mercy Wayne rocks out with a song re-released in 1992, and originally performed in 1983.  The Sisters of Mercy are from the UK underground scene, and this is their biggest hit, though it did not do well in the States.  The name of the group comes from a Leonard Cohen song.

The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead by XTC  British post punk band XTC dropped this song on their 12th studio album, Nonsuch.  It went to number 1 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.  XTC founter Andy Partridge was inspired to write this song after watching a carved jack o'-lantern that he had put on his fence post decay over time.  The Crash Test Dummies would cover this song in 1994's comedy film “Dumb and Dumber.”

Cats in the Cradle by Ugly Kid Joe Lynch features a cover of a song originally done by Harry Chapin in 1974.  The Ugly Kid Joe version made it to number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.  The song is about a father who doesn't make time for his son as he grows up, and reaps what he sews when the son doesn't have time for the father as an adult.

NOVELTYTRACK:

Summer Song by Joe Satriani Guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani had a huge hit with this instrumental from his "Extremist" album.  

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Vivid is the debut album from Living Colour, and it was a commercial and critical success, peaking at number 6 on the Billboard 200 album charts.  Vernon Reid formed Living Color in New York in 1984.  Reid is from England and used the British spelling of the band.  It was known as "Vernon Reid's Living Colour" for the first couple of years, and evolved through a number of band members and genres including jazz, punk, experimental rock, and funk.

The lineup for the debut album was set by 1986, and consisted of Reid on guitars, Corey Clover on vocals, Muzz Skillings on bass, and Will Calhoun on drums.  The group settled on a hard rock to heavy metal approach to their music, though elements of funk and jazz remain.  They built their experience playing in New York's CBGB club where they built up a following, eventually including Rolling Stones front man Mick Jagger.  

Living Colour is an all black band playing hard rock music, which is uncommon.  Vernon Reid pushed for acceptance of black musicians in alternative music genres, forming the Black Rock Coalition in 1985 to support development and exposure.  During a time when highly produced hair metal bands were common, Living Colour was refreshingly different.  The band entered the studios in December 2022 to record their seventh album.

Bruce brings this group and their debut album to the podcast.

Funny Vibe This track was performed in their earlier days and was reworked for the album with a harder rock sound.  It features Chuck D and Flava Flav from Public Enemy.  It is about racial stereotyping - something Vernon Reid had to deal with in the music industry when he's bringing an all-black group onto the rock scene.

Cult of Personality This is the song which really launched Living Colour into a worldwide phenomenon.  It hit number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Reid said it was essentially written in just one rehearsal session, and is the only song on the album written by all the band members.  The title comes from a report Nikita Khrushchev wrote in 1956 on Stalin called "On the Cult of Personality and Its Consequences."

Open Letter (to a Landlord) A poet named Tracie Morris was part of the Black Rock Coalition, and Reid got her help on the lyrics for this song.  It is inspired by concern over the gentrification of the East Village in New York City, pushing out long term tenants and replacing them with "yuppies." 

Glamour Boys The third single from the album is about men obsessed with high society.  Mick Jagger is on backing vocals.  Jagger came to know the band through working with bassist Doug Wimbush who would replace Skillings as bassist in 1992 in the band.  Jagger produced a couple of their demos.

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Hippy Hippy Shake by the Georgia Satellites (from the motion picture "Cocktail") This cover appeared on the soundtrack to a movie featuring Tom Cruise flipping bottles of rum as a showman bartender in exotic Caribbean locales.

STAFF PICKS:

Tutti Frutti by Little Richard Wayne does a little double dipping on the Entertainment track.  Little Richard's hit made its way back on the charts when it appeared on the "Cocktail" motion picture soundtrack.  The line "aw rooty" was a slang expression for "all right!"  Many rock and roll staples would be introduced in this song, including the loud volume, powerful vocal style, and distinctive rhythm.

Nothin' But a Good Time  by Poison According to Poison drummer Rikki Rockett, John's staff pick was written during a time the band was living in a downtown LA warehouse with no money, and getting fast food and going to the beach was a good time.  The song was written for the everyday person making it through the work week and just looking for a good time at the end of it all.

Peek-a-Boo by Siouxsie & the Banshees  Rob brings us a post-punk group with their breakthrough U.S. hit.  Featuring a looping brass part played in reverse and unusual instruments like the accordion, Vocalist Siouxsie Sioux added to the unusual nature of the song by using a different microphone for each line.  Peek-a-boo would reach number 53 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Fast Car by Tracy Chapman Bruce's staff pick was originally released in April, but Chapman really moved up the charts after appearing at the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday tribute concert.  Stevie Wonder was supposed to be the surprise guest star, but when his keyboard hard disk went missing, Tracy Chapman was ushered back on stage in prime time with just a microphone and a guitar.  The song she performed was a sad, stark tale of a woman trapped in poverty, reminiscing about a time when she felt she could be someone.

NOVELTY TRACK:

Parents Just Don't Understand by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince Before becoming a film icon and celebrity, Will Smith got his start as the Fresh Prince.  This comedy rap did well on the charts in 1988.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Although neither popular nor long-lived as a band,  the New York Dolls were one of the most influential bands of the punk and glam rock genres.  Their debut album, the eponymously named New York Dolls came out on the strength of their lower Manhattan fan base and received critical acclaim.  However, their appeal outside of New York was limited and the album was considered a commercial failure in the United States.

The New York Dolls (also known as “The Dolls”) sported an androgynous look onstage, dressing in satin, high heels, dresses, and lots of makeup.  Much of their wardrobe was acquired at a local Salvation Army thrift store.  

The band personnel included David Johansen on vocals, Arthur “Killer” Kane on bass, Jerry Nolan on drums, Sylvain Sylvain on keyboards, rhythm guitar and vocals, and Johnny Thunder on lead guitar and vocals.  Front man David Johansen would later perform under the name Buster Poindexter.

Although the band would produce only one other album after their debut, their influence was significant for both punk rock and glam rock genres.

Wayne brings us this forerunner of punk that is “too fast to live, too young to die.”

Frankenstein This song is sometimes listed as “Frankenstein (Orig.)” because Edgar Winter's song of the same name had already been released prior to the band recording their own, though it had been used in their live shows previously.  The song was inspired by how repressed kids would gravitate to Manhattan from all over.

Pills The only cover on the album was a 1963 Bo Diddley song.  “While I was laying in a hospital bed, a rock n' roll nurse went through my head.  She says, "hold out your arm, stick out yo' toungue, I got some pills, boy, I'm 'on give you one.”

Jet Boy This track has a more heavy metal sound in the guitar.  The lyrics are simply about a jet boy who stole a baby.  There is little explanation as to what a jet boy is other than to say that he flies around New York City.  “Jet Boy” was a 50's era comic superhero.

Bad Girl The vocal parts on this track hearken back to a 1950's style, and it also features a boogie rhythm. 

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Oo-De-Lally by Roger Miller (from the animated picture “Robin Hood”) Yes, it is a stark departure from the Dolls.  Disney rolled out their take on the animated Robin Hood tale in this picture featuring Robin Hood as a fox.  

STAFF PICKS:

Over the Hills and Far Away by Led Zeppelin Rob leads out the staff picks with a great acoustic riff from Jimmy Page, layering 6- and 12-string guitars.  The lyrics were inspired by the feelings of the band touring on the road.  This is a single off Led Zeppelin's fifth studio album, Houses of the Holy, and made it to number 51 on the charts.

We Can Make It Right by Sherbet  Bruce's staff pick is a group that never broke into the US market in a big way, but was one of the biggest pop rock acts in Australia in the 1970's.  This track leads off the second studio album entitled “On With the Show,” which hit number 6 on the Australian charts.  The song was co-written by Sherbs keyboardist Garth Porter and guitarist Clive Shakespeare.

Long Train Runnin' by The Doobie Brothers  Lynch features a well known riff from the Tom Johnston vocal era of the Doobies.  The group played “Long Train Runnin'” for three years before it was recorded, and it went through a number of names an iterations before its final form was created in the studio.

Still...You Turn Me On by Emerson, Lake & Palmer  Wayne wraps up the staff picks with a ballad from prog rock power trio Keith Emerson (keyboards) Greg Lake (guitar and vocals) and Carl Palmer (percussion).  This is more acoustic rock with a little psychedelic rock thrown in than prog rock, but it is a hauntingly beautiful song.  The lyrics are inspired by the feeling of playing in front of an audience.

COMEDY TRACK:

Sister Mary Elephant by Cheech & Chong A number of comedy sketches were released by this duo, including this Catholic school class skit. 

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Neil Diamond is one of the best-selling singer-songwriters of all time.  In August 1972 he performed a series of 10 sold-out shows at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.  Recordings from this concert would be released as a live double-album entitled Hot August Night later that year in December.  

Neil Diamond was born in Brooklyn, New York, the child of a Jewish family.  At the age of 16 he was inspired by seeing folk singer Pete Seeger perform at a camp for Jewish children in upstate New York, and received his first guitar shortly thereafter.  This would set the direction of Diamond's career, starting with both taking guitar lessons and writing songs.  

After some time barely scraping by as a songwriter, Diamond began to find some success by the mid-60's, most prominently with several songs for The Monkees, including the big hit, "I'm A Believer."  Diamond moved to Los Angeles in 1969, where he recorded some of his bigger solo hits, including the iconic "Sweet Caroline."

Many consider "Hot August Night" to be Neil Diamond's best work, capturing the artist at his prime and at the top of his game.  It went to number 5 on the Billboard 200 album chart, and was number 12 for the 1973 year-end chart.  It was number 1 in Australia for 29 weeks in 1973 and 1974, and remains one of the highest selling albums in that country. 

Neil Diamond retired from touring in 2018 toward the end of his "50 Year Anniversary World Tour" after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.  However, Diamond did not retire from music, and continued writing and developing new projects.

Wayne brings us this soft rock singer-songwriter live album for this week's podcast.

Kentucky Woman This song is a bonus track on the CD, and many will recognize this song from the remake performed by Deep Purple.  It was written in 1967 and went to number 22 on the charts after its release.  It appeared on the compilation album, "Neil Diamond's Greatest Hits" released in 1968 on Bang records after Diamond left that label.

Cherry Cherry The inspiration for this song was an early relationship with a significantly older woman.  This was Diamond's first hit, reaching number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.  The most familiar studio version of this song was released in mid 1966 on Bang records, and was the final track on Diamond's debut studio album, "The Feel of Neil Diamond."

Song Sung Blue This song was originally released on Diamond's eighth studio album, "Moods."  It was his second number 1 song in the United States, and his last solo #1 song in America to date.  The musical inspiration for the song is Mozart's Piano Concerto #21, second movement.  The lyrics reflect on the power of music to heal when a sad mood is poured into a song. 

Cracklin' Rosie Originally released in 1970, this song topped the charts and sold over 1 million copies.  The studio version appeared on "Tap Root Manuscript," Diamond's sixth studio album, and was recorded with instrumentation provided by session musicians from the Wrecking Crew. While the lyrics suggest that Rosie is a prostitute, there are tales that it actually refers to a cheap sparkling wine from Canada called "Crackling Rosè."  

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Theme from the animated series "Josie and the Pussycats" The animated series "Josie and the Pussycats" and "Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space" concluded its run this month.

STAFF PICKS:

Ventura Highway by America Rob leads off the staff picks with a song inspired by a drive that vocalist and writer Dewey Bunnell took in 1963 on the Pacific Coast.  While his father was changing a flat tire, he and his brother stood on the side of the road near a road sign for Ventura, watching shapes in the clouds, inspiring the lyrics "alligator lizards in the air."

Superstition by Stevie Wonder Lynch brings us the lead single from Wonder's fifteenth studio album "Talking Book."  It's lyrics mention many popular superstitions and their negative consequences.  Stevie Wonder collaborated with Jeff Beck on the demo for this song, and Beck would include his version of "Superstition" on his "Beck, Bogert & Appice" album.

Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu by Johnny Rivers Bruce features the song originally recorded in 1957 by Huey "Piano" Smith.  The original version went to number 52 on the pop charts, but the version we all know went to number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Rivers was a member of the Wrecking Crew, and several musicians from that session group played on this single. 

It Never Rains in Southern California by Albert Hammond Wayne's closes out the staff picks with a storytelling song about a performer off to make it big.  He fails in his efforts, but wants to hide the failure from those he left behind.  Members of the Wrecking Crew also provide instrumentation on this song that went to number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.

NOVELTY TRACK:

Crazy Horses by The Osmonds This surprisingly heavy performance from the Osmonds takes us out for this week. 

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Defining a genre for the group War is a difficult process.  There are elements of Latin, R&B, funk, soul, and rock mixed in.  Some call it progressive soul.  War came from Long Beach, California in 1969, and began as a backing band for Deacon Jones.  The band was originally led by Eric Burden of the Animals and were known as Eric Burden and War for their first tow albums, then as War after Burden left the group.  

Their seventh studio album, Why Can't We Be Friends? would continue a tradition of successful albums for the band, going to number 8 on the US charts, number 1 on the R&B sharts, and two singles would be nominated for the Grammy awards in 1976.

War had a large number of musicians, and much of their personnel rotated in and out of the group.  For this album the group was Howard Scott on guitar, B.B. Dickerson on bass, Lonnie Jordan on organ, Papa Dee Allen on conga and bongos, Charles Miller on clarinet and sax, and Lee Oskar on harmonica.  All members are also listed on percussion and vocals.

War was a band with a purpose.  The goal of the band from the beginning was to spread a message of brotherhood and harmony, and to speak out against racism, hunger, gangs, and crimes.

Bruce brings us this funky fusion band for discussion..

Why Can't We Be Friends? The title track reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Each band member gets their own verse to sing.  The title is sung 44 times.  It was played in outer space during the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project.  Smash Mouth did a cover in 1998 as the second single from their debut album.  

Heartbeat This is a deeper cut with a lot of funk.  You could easily hear George Clinton and Parliament doing this piece.  The lyrics are about not worrying about things, but being in the present.  "Ain't no need a-worryin' about the future.  Ain't no need a-worryin'."

Don't Let No One Get You Down Leading off the album, this song is a piece of encouragement, letting the listener know they will always be lifted up by the singer.  "Don't let no one get you down, cause if they do, if they do, I'll be around."

Low Rider The big hit off the album would become iconic over time.  The song is about a car and a culture in Southern California.  A low rider is a car modified with hydraulic lifts so the wheels can be lowered and make the car bounce.  The band maintains that the references are not to drug culture, although the song did make it into a couple of Cheech and Chong movies..

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Main Theme to the motion picture "Jaws" This movie was keeping everyone out of the water in the summer of 1975.  

STAFF PICKS:

Welcome to My Nightmare by Alice Cooper Wayne starts off the staff picks with the title song from a concept album that chronicles a journey through the nightmares of a child named Steven.  Cooper would later perform this song on "The Muppet Show."  It peaked at number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)  by The Doobie Brothers Rob brings us a cover from Motown.  Holland-Dozier-Holland wrote this one, originally performed by Kim Weston in 1964.  While the original version peaked at number 50 on the Billboard Hot 100, the Doobie Brothers version was more successful, peaking at number 11.

Sister Golden Hair by America  Brian features a track that went to number 1 on the charts.  This is a relationship song according to Gerry Beckley, and it was made as a demo before America recorded their fourth album.  It didn't make the cut for that album, and so was included in their next album. 

Magic by Pilot Bruce's staff pick is the first hit single from short-lived Scottish pop rock band pilot.  The inspiration for this song is a sunrise on Blackford Hill in Edinburgh.  Lead singer David Paton also worked with the original lineup of The Alan Parson's Project, and worked with Kate Bush, Camel, and Rick Wakeman.  The band had a couple of other hits before splitting in 1977.  

NOVELTY TRACK:

You Never Even Called Me By My Name by David Allen Coe The perfect country and western song was released in 1975, and reached number 8 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Drivin' N' Cryin' hit the peak of their commercial success with this fourth studio album, Fly Me Courageous.  It was released in January at the same time as the start of the Persian Gulf War, and they benefitted from patriotic associations the title song received.  The album peaked at 90 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

The band at the time included Buren Fowler on guitar, Kevin Kinney on guitar and vocals, Tim Nielson on bass and backing vocals, and Jeff Sullivan on percussion.  The album was produced and engineered by Geoff Workman, an English producer who also worked with Journey, The Cars, and Queen.  

The name Drivin' N' Cryin' was a reference to the band's fusion of driving rock and roll and a bit of a country twang (the crying).

Georgia based Drivin' N' Cryin' had formed in 1985, honing their craft at the 688 Club in Atlanta.  The band released a number of albums and singles prior to Fly Me Courageous which had been successful on college and independent radio.  This album was more rock oriented, as would be their follow-up album, Smoke.  Drivin' N' Cryin' would tour with Neil Young and with Soul Asylum.

Drivin' N' Cryin' tours today, and is a great act to see live.

Rob brings us this Georgia band this week.

Fly Me Courageous The title track took off quite literally with the start of the Gulf War.  It was considered a patriotic song and was included in the playlists of many military pilots, even though the song itself is more about confronting aggression than celebrating it.  The band received a number of requests to perform at military bases after the release of this track, which hit number 19 on the US Mainstream Rock charts.

The Innocent This track was also a successful single, and starts with a parody of the US Constitution.  It talks about the discrepancy between politicians providing hand-outs and the desire of people to improve themselves.  "Get used to it.  The innocent."

Around the Block Again  A deeper cut, this fast paced track has a sound reminiscent of Rod Stewart or the Rolling Stones.  The lyrics reflect hypocrisy in religion, relationships, and music.  

Build a Fire This shuffle beat single has a bit of a punk rock feel, and even has a small rap sequence in the middle.  "Bored with the American holstered blues, peace signs on just about everything.  Don't know where to turn or what they say." 

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Break On Through (To the Other Side) by the Doors (from the motion picture sountrack "The Doors")  Val Kilmer owns the role as Jim Morrison in this movie about the band.

STAFF PICKS:

American Society by L7  Wayne starts off the staff picks with an all-female punk band, that often gets associated with the Nirvana grunge sound.  This is a cover song originally done by a punk band called "Eddie and the Subtitles" from Orange County, California in the early 80's.

All This Time by Sting   Bruce features the first single off Sting's third studio album, "The Soul Cages."  Sting had writer's block for several years after the death of his father in 1987, and many songs on this album reflect the tumultuous relationship he had with his father.

It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over by Lenny Kravitz John brings us a crossover hit that went to number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.  The style was inspired by Motown and Earth, Wind & Fire.  The lyrics reflect the marital struggles Kravitz was experiencing with his then-wife Lisa Bonet.

Someone to Love by Roger McGuinn Rob closes out the staff picks with former Byrds front man Roger McGuinn and a single from his sixth studio album, "Back from Rio."  This is the lead-off track from the album.  It made it to number 12 on the Mainstream Rock charts.  McGuinn used a number of familiar artists on his album, including Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and David Crosby.

COMEDY TRACK:

Lisa, Lisa (The One I Adore) by Pauly Shore  Pauly Shore was all over MTV during the early 90's.  

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Hair band Skid Row hails from Tom's River, New Jersay.  The band was formed in 1986 by bassist Rachel Boland and guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo, and rounded out with guitarist Scotti Hill and drummer Rob Affuso.  Lead vocalist Sebastian Bach was recruited after being seen as a wedding singer at the age of 18 well before Adam Sandler would reveal this as a potential career option and path to love and fame.  Sabo was a high school friend of Jon Bon Jovi, and the two made a pact that if one was sucessful in the music business they would help the other out.  This led to Bon Jovi's manager Doc McGee seeking out Skid Row and getting them a contract with Atlantic Records in 1988.

Skid Row was the band's eponymously titled debut album, and it would prove to be a huge success over time.  Though it received mixed critical reviews, the album went to number 6 on the Billboard 200 charts, and would be certified 5x platinum in 1995 by the RIAA.  The band headlined tours for Bon Jovi and Aerosmith in 1989-1990.  

Bach would be the front man for the band for their first three albums until 1996, when friction between himself and Sabo led to his departure.  Skid Row is still active as of 2022, and has released six albums to date.

John Lynch takes the helm on this album in his debut as a permanent member of the What the Riff crew.

Youth Gone Wild This rocking anthem was the first single released from the album.  No matter what walk of life you are from, you are one of us - the youth gone wild.  Be true to yourself and not to what others expect of you.  "Hi man, there's something that you oughta know.  I tell ya Park Avenue leads to Skid Row."

I Remember You The third single would be the one to really put Skid Row on the map.  It is a power ballad depicting a guy who can't get over a long lost love.  Bass player Rachel Bolan contributed the lyrics.  The line "love letters in the sand" was also the title of a number 1 hit from 1957 by Pat Boone.

Sweet Little Sister A deeper cut that sounds a lot like Motley Crue chronicles the trouble that a boy crazy sister of a member of the band can create.  "For such a sweet little lady I would swear she's rotten to the core.  Oh yes she got her hands in the cookie jar."

18 and Life This darker ballad tells the story of Ricky who kills someone with a gun while drunk and is sentenced to life in prison.  Dave "Snake" Sabo and Rachel Bolan wrote the song after reading a story in the local paper about an 18 year old who accidentally killed his friend with a gun he thought was unloaded. 

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Theme song from the animated series “ALF:  The Animated Series”  After its "real life" series, the cat-munching alien ALF returned in animated form.  It finished its run in 1989.

STAFF PICKS:

Charlotte Anne by Julian Cope  Bruce leads off the staff picks with a forgotten song that hit number 1 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart at the time.  This is the first single from Cope's fourth solo album "My Nation Underground," an album that Cope considers to be a poor album.  Julian Cope comes out of the Liverpool punk scene, and his solo work is a bit reminiscent of the Cure.

Driven Out by The Fixx Rob brings us British new wave band The Fixx in a work off their fifth album.  It talks about the pillaging of the land driven by greed.  "I'm cooking with microwaves to warm up food not seen the soil - plugged into my TV, used to the lies their telling me."  It hit number 55 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number 1 on the mainstream rock charts.

Funky Cold Medina by Tone Loc  Wayne's staff pick was everywhere in 1989.  A funky cold medina was an aphrodisiac, and its use would get the singer into all kinds of trouble when he gives it to his dog, or to a girl who turns out to be a transvestite.  It peaked at number 3 on the charts, and if the main beat sounds familiar, it may be because it comes from "Hot Blooded" by Foreigner. 

Two Hearts by Phil Collins John features a song Collins sang for his poorly received film "Buster."  Lamont Dozier of Motown fame wrote this song, and it was Dozier's 14th and last number 1 song.  It is about two people connected through time and space even when they are not together.

NOVELTYTRACK:

Let's Put the X in Sex by Kiss Even rock legends put out a failure from time to time.  This could be considered one of those - you be the judge!

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Pink Floyd would score another big hit and some mainstream crossover success with their eleventh studio album, The Wall.  Originally conceived by bassist Roger Waters, The Wall explores the self-isolation of a cynical rock star named Pink, and portrays events in his life from the loss of his father, to childhood trauma, to the pressures of rock stardom as bricks forming the wall.  Parts of the story are autobiographical from Waters, and parts naturally are based on former front man Syd Barrett.  The album was a commercial success, the most successful double album of all time, the second most popular Pink Floyd album behind their monstrous hit "Dark Side of the Moon," and would produce the groups only number 1 single on the charts with "Another Brick in the Wall, part 2."  Critical reviews were mixed at first, with some considering the rock opera to be pretentious, but the reviews would turn more positive over time.

This would be the last album to feature the classic band lineup.  Richard Wright would be fired by Roger Waters during production, though he would stay on as a studio musician for the album.  One further studio album would be produced before acrimony would lead to Waters departure from the band.

What the Riff co-founder Brian Dickhute brings us this album for today's podcast.  Brian is also using this as a swan song of sorts as he takes a break from regular podcasting duties to spend more time with the family.  Thanks so much for all your work over these hundreds of podcasts, Brian!

Hey You This well-known track leads off side three of the album and reflects the desperation as Pink realizes how the wall of isolation he has built has trapped him in a cell of his own creation.  The inspiration for this song was the breakup of Waters' marriage.

Is There Anybody Out There? In the film this song is used to transition from Pink the rock star to Pink the dictator.  Session musician Joe DiBlasi was brought in to play the fingerstyle guitar on this piece.

Nobody's Home The last song written for the album was the result of a fight between Roger Waters and David Gilmour.  It was inspired by the isolation Waters felt during their 1977 tour and musings on Syd Barrett.  Some of the lyrics are also built around Richard Wright, keyboardist, who was allegedly dealing with drug addiction at the time.

Vera This song is a flashback to days of World War II.  The title was inspired by Vera Lynn, a British singer popular during the war who sang the song "We'll Meet Again."  Waters lost his grandfather in WWI and his father in WWII.

Bring the Boys Back Home Roger Waters considers this brief song the central theme of the album.  The idea is that not just war, but all activity including business and rock music should not be allowed to isolate a person from friends and family. 

Comfortably Numb One of the more popular songs from the album, the music was written by David Gilmour and the lyrics by Roger Waters.  A significant argument occurred between Gilmour and Waters on the arrangement of this piece, with Gilmour preferring a stripped-down format and Watters wanting a more symphonic approach.  The contrasting sections of orchestration and more simplistic riffs is the result of the compromise made for the piece.

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Frosty the Snowman by Jimmy Durante  No, it isn't Christmas again.  Popular entertainer Jimmy Durante passed away in January of 1980, and his is one of his best known songs. 

STAFF PICKS:

The Spirit of Radio by Rush  Bruce sneaks another Rush song in for Brian's final episode as a regular podcaster.  The lead-off track to Rush's album "Permanent Waves" was inspired by the slogan of CFNY-FM in Toronto.  FM radio was moving from a more free-form format to a more commercial format, and CFNY was bucking the trend.  

Damned If I Do by the Alan Parsons Project Rob brings us a piece from Alan Parsons' fourth studio album called "Eve."  The album is focused on the strength and characteristics of women and the difficulties they face in a world of men.  "Damned if I do, damned if I don't, but I love you."

Boom Boom (Out Go the Lights) by Pat Travers  Wayne's staff pick is a boogie woogie cover of a blues song originally released by Little Walter in 1957.  It is a well known party song which would not be politically correct today.  There's some great guitar playing, and an excellent call-and-response in the live version.  

Ladies Night by Kool & The Gang Brian's staff pick was a popular song in the dying days of disco.  This song would see a revitalization of Kool & the Gang's popularity going into the early 80's.  

INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

Pipeline '76 by Roger Powell It is unusual to find surfing instrumentals during the early 80's, but this one was around at the time.  

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Rolling Stone magazine ranked Paranoid, the second studio album by Black Sabbath, to be the number one of its "100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time."  Originally known by the name Earth, the band took the name Black Sabbath from a 1963 horror film starring Boris Karloff.  The band members were Bill Ward on percussion, Geezer Butler on bass, Tony Iommi on guitar, and Ozzy Osbourne on vocals.  It was originally a heavy blues band from Birmingham, England, but took on a darker complexion with lyrics of doom.

Much of the music on Paranoid was developed during jams while the band was on the road.

This album was panned by critics at the time, but it reached number 12 on the US charts.  This is quite a feat, considering that the band received virtually no airplay on rock radio when the album came out.  It would come to be considered a great heavy metal album, and Black Sabbath would be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Wayne brings us this forerunner of prog rock and heavy metal.

War Pigs The lead track for the album was originally going to be called "Walpurgis," a term for a black magic wedding or a Satanic version of Christmas.  The label had concerns about this and had them change the title to War Pigs.  The lyrics are about warmongers trying to get the working class to fight the wars for them.

Paranoid  This was the band's only top 10 hit in the UK, and it went to number 61 in the US.  Though named "paranoid," the song is really about depression.  The riffs bear a striking resemblance to Led Zeppelin's "Communication Breakdown."  Led Zeppelin was one of the band's favorite groups at the time.

Rat Salad This track is largely a guitar and drum solo.  The name comes from a joke about Ward's hair not being combed.  This would be used in concerts as "filler" to give the vocalists a break.

Iron Man  One of the more famous singles from Black Sabbath, it became even more famous after being used in Marvel's Iron Man movie. The lyrics are about a man who travels to the future and sees the apocalypse.  When he returns to the present, he is turned into steel, ignored by the population he tries to warn, and turns vengeful - causing the destruction seen in his vision.

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Main theme from the television series “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” This sitcom set in Minneapolis benefitted from early 70's feminism as it featured a single career-oriented woman making her way on her own.

STAFF PICKS:

It's A Shame by The Spinners Bruce's staff pick brought the Spinners a hit at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, their first hit in about 5 years.  This single was co-written by Stevie Wonder and Syreeta Wright in their first collaboration.  Wonder and Wright would get married in September of 1970.  The Spinners would go on to have bigger success after signing with Atlantic in 1972.

War by Edwin Starr  Rob brings us a classic protest song.  "War!  What is it good for?  Absolutely nothing."  Motown first released this song with the Temptations, but Starr would take it to number 1 with a heavier sound, reminiscent of James Brown.  The Undisputed Truth is the backing band on this song.

I Want to Take You Higher by Ike and Tina Turner  Brian's staff pick is a cover originally performed by Sly & the Family Stone.  Ike and Tina Turner would take this song to number 13 on the charts, so they did ineed take it higher than the original which peaked at number 38.

Tighter Tighter by Alive 'N Kickin'  Wayne features a one-hit wonder written by Tommy James that Alive N' Kickin' took to number 7.  The group split up shortly after the single fell off the charts.  They would reform in 1976, and still perform from time to time today.  Despite being a pop love song, it has a surprisingly solid guitar riff.

NOVELTY TRACK:

Rubber Duckie by Ernie This Sesame Street song was on the pop charts a number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September of 1970.  

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Sam Moore and Dave Prater were known as Sam & Dave, a huge soul act from the late 60's.  They were known as The Sultans of Sweat, The Dynamic Duo, and Double Dynamite.  This album is their second studio album out of Stax Records, also called Double Dynamite.

Sam & Dave are considered one of the greatest live acts out of the 60's, and a lot of musicians cite their influence on their work, including some you would expect like Al Green and Michael Jackson.  There are also a lot of musicians who were influenced who were significantly removed from the R&B genre like Tom Petty, Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, and Steve Winwood.

Sam & Dave got their start in church in gospel choirs.  They met on the gospel music circuit and sang together in small clubs where they developed their sound based on a call-and-response approach to music from the gospel tradition.  They were discovered at the King of Hearts nightclub in Miami in the early 60's, and signed to Marlin Records at first.  They eventually made it to Atlantic Records in 1964 from which they were loaned out to Memphis-based Stax Records.  Stax had a lot of offer Sam & Dave, including the Stax horn section called the Mar-Keys, and their house band, Booker T. and the M.G.'s.

Bruce brings us this icon of soul, and friend of the show John Lynch joins us for this discussion.

You Got Me Hummin' Leading off the album, this single was written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter.  Sam & Dave took this hit to number 8 on the R&B charts, and number 77 on the Billboard Hot 100.  A number of other groups would do this song, including Freddie Fender and the Pointer Sisters.  Its highest charting on the Billboard Hot 100 was number 52 by Cold Blood.

Just Can't Get Enough This is a deeper cut, though I imagine just about any Sam & Dave song could be familiar with the number of covers or singers inspired by their songs.  This one has some lyrics that might be difficult to sing today - "The more I get the more I want.  It makes me feel good 'cause you never say don't.  I just cant get enough."  

Sweet Pains This track is another deep cut.  This one takes a description comparing love to pain, a path that would be echoed in John Cougar's "Hurts So Good," and Sade's "Sweetest Taboo."  "Sweet pains, feels good."

When Something Is Wrong with My Baby The big hit off the album was their only ballad single.  Hayes and Porter wrote it, and you have both Booker T and the MG's and the Mar-Keys horns playing on it.  A bunch of people have covered this song, including Jonny Gill, Charlie Rich, and in 1990 Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville did well with it.

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Marching Theme to the motion picture "Follow Me, Boys!" This Boy Scout themed movie starring a young Kurt Russel was the last film Disney Studios released prior to Walt Disney's death.  

STAFF PICKS:

Mellow Yellow by Donovan Rob kicks off the staff picks with a psychedelic hit.  Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan took this song to number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Some thought the song was about a type of drug, but it was actually about a...well, let's just say it is an adult toy.

Talk Talk by The Music Machine Wayne's staff pick is a garage band one-hit wonder.  This song would use some techniques which were novel at the time, including the use of a fuzz box on the bass line, and tuning the instruments down a half step to produce a heavier sound.  

If I Were a Carpenter by Bobby Darin  Brian brings us a song written by Tim Hardin and popularized by Bobby Darin.  It hit number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, Darin's first hit in three years.  The lyrics question whether an elegant woman would be satisfied with a man who was merely a carpenter.  Darin had passed on two songs, "Do You Believe In Magic" and "Summer in the City," both of which would be hits for the Lovin' Spoonful. 

You Keep Me Hangin' On by The Supremes Friend of the show John Lynch brings us a big hit for Diana Ross and the Supremes.  It would also be a hit for a long list of cover artists including Vanilla Fudge, Phil Collins, Kim Wilde, and Rod Stewart.

NOVELTY TRACK:

Winchester Cathedral by The New Vaudeville Band This novelty song doubles up as Bruce's staff pick.  It was a number 1 hit in the United States and would win the Grammy for the best contemporary song in 1967, beating out singles from the Monkees, the Beach Boys, and the Beatles.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

The supergroup U.K. was founded by former King Crimson percussionist Bill Bruford (also a former founder of Yes) and bassist and vocalist John Wetton (also a former member of Uriah Heep, and Roxy Music).  After failing to reform King Crimson, each of the two brought in a musician they thought would work well in the group.  Wetton brought in Eddie Jobson, violinist and keyboardist from Frank Zappa's band.  Bruford brought in Allan Holdsworth on guitars (who had worked on Bruford's prior solo project.  

Their self titled debut album was released in May, 1978.  Although a couple of songs were edited for single release, the album U.K. is best known as a prog rock masterpiece, and is cited as inspirational to many musicians who followed in the prog rock genre. 

After an extensive tour supporting the album, Wetton and Jobson had a falling out with Holdsworth and fired him.  Bill Bruford left at that time and was replaced by Terry Bozzio, another alumnus of Frank Zappa's band and a future founding member of Missing Persons.  

John Wetton would go on in the days after U.K. to be the front man for Asia.

Rob brings us the prog rock monster-piece. 

In the Dead of Night The track that leads off the album was one of two songs to be edited for release as a single.  On the album it is the first of three songs which form a continuous suite on the first album side.  The 7/4 time and the synthesizer - the Yamaha CS-80 had just been released - are prog rock hallmarks.  The electric violin is an unusual addition.

By the Light of Day This track is the second movement of the "In the Dead of Night" suite.  Rather than have a clear change in tracks, there is a slow transition via a "spacey" interlude into the new song of the suite.  "Black clouds moving gray skies to thunder.  Kinetic sunrise fever and flood.  Fire and water element anger horizon melting to blood."

Presto Vivace and Reprise This is the third movement of the "In the Dead of Night suite.  This is a much faster piece (as the term Vivace would suggest) before transitioning back into a reprise of "In the Dead of Night."

Time to Kill The abrupt start to this song is due to the way the tracks drift into each other.  The concept is that of boredom, of being stuck in a place.  "Time to kill, going nowhere, killing time, staying where there's time to kill, going nowhere..."

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

That'll Be the Day by Buddy Holly (from the motion picture "The Buddy Holly Story")  Gary Busey was nominated for the Oscar for his portrayal of early rocker Buddy Holly in this film.  Busey would sing and play for the part.

STAFF PICKS:

Goodbye Girl by David Gates  Bruce leads off the staff picks with a soft rock solo from former Bread front man David Gates.  The song is from the Neil Simon movie "The Goodbye Girl," which would lead to Richard Dreyfuss becoming the youngest man to win an Oscar for Best Actor at the time.    

Lay Down Sally by Eric Clapton   Brian presents a pop hit from Clapton's album Slowhand.  It went to number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.  It was written by Clapton, George Terry (guitar), and Marcy Levy (who sings the female parts on the song).  It was written in the country blues style of J.J. Cale, and hit number 26 on the Hot Country Songs chart, Clapton's best showing on that chart as a crossover.

Ain't It Fun by Dead Boys Wayne features a song from Cleveland's own Dead Boys.  This song appears on their second studio album, "We Have Come for Your Children."  They were known as one of the rowdiest bands on the punk scene.  It hit number 8 on the Mainstream Rock charts, and is an ode to the punk rock lifestyle.

With a Little Luck by Wings Rob brings us Paul McCartney with a song recorded largely in the Virgin Islands on a yacht equipped with a 24-track mobile recording studio installed on it.  This single from the album "London Town" hit number 1 on the pop charts.  

INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

Alaska by U.K.  This instrumental lets us do some double dipping with the track that leads off side 2 of the U.K. album.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

The cult classic film Easy Rider was released this month.  A landmark counter culture movie, the film traces the journey of Wyatt and Billy as they make their way on motorcycles from a successful drug deal in Los Angeles to the Mardi Gras festival in New Orleans.  Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Terry Southern wrote the film, and it stars Fonda, Hopper, and Jack Nicholson.  Dennis Hopper directed the movie.  

Originally the plan was for Crosby, Stills & Nash to do all the songs on the soundtrack.  When the editor plugged in contemporary songs as placeholders, the sound convinced Dennis Hopper to reverse this decision.

The Easy Rider Soundtrack was crafted with contemporary late 60's music, and stands out as an excellent example of the music of the counterculture.  Each piece used in the movie was curated with the idea of maintaining the story.  

Wayne brings us this forerunner of prog rock and heavy metal.

Don't Bogart Me by Fraternity of Man Psychedelic and blues rock band the Fraternity of Man would have their biggest hit with this song.  It recommends generosity with illicit smoking materials.  This song originally appeared on their self-titled debut album in 1968 before being included in this soundtrack.

Ballad of Easy Rider by Roger McGuinn Bob Dylan was an uncredited contributor on this song.  The Byrds front man Roger McGuinn performed this as a solo work.  It was the only song originally written for this film, and appeared on one of McGuinn's albums later.

The Weight by The Band This song chronicles the experience of a visitor to Nazareth, Pennsylvania, even though much of its influence is from the American South.  Nazareth is the home of Martin guitars, and that is why the lyrics transfer to that location.  Licensing could not be gained for the soundtrack even though it was used in the film, so a group called Smith was used for the soundtrack instead of The Band.

Born To Be Wild by Steppenwolf Steppenwolf's most successful single appeared on their debut album in 1968 before being used in "Easy Rider."  Many consider it to be the first heavy metal song, and the lyric "heavy metal thunder" contributes to that.  This song would be used as a motorcycle anthem from this time on.

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Wasn't Born to Follow by The Byrds (from the motion picture “Easy Rider”) Yes, we get to do a little double dipping with our entertainment track this week.

STAFF PICKS:

Put a Little Love in Your Heart by Jackie DeShannon Rob opens this week's staff picks with a song that hit number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and it was used in the film "Drugstore Cowboy."  Jackie DeShannon is best known for the song, "What the World Needs Now is Love."  DeShannon also wrote "Betty Davis Eyes" for Kim Carnes.

In the Ghetto by Elvis Presley  Brian brings us The King with a poignant song about a child from the dirt street part of town.  Writer Mac Davis was inspired by the story of a friend who grew up in poverty.  Elvis completely identified with this song because of his impoverished upbringing.

I Can Sing a Rainbow/Love Is Blue by the Dells  Bruce's staff pick is a cover medley of Sing a Rainbow, best known in its 1955 rendition by Peggy Lee, and Love is Blue, originally a French song best known as an instrumental easy listening piece by Paul Mauriat that was a number 1 hit in March of 1968.  the Dells hit number 22 on the US charts with this version during the height of their success between 1966 and 1973.

I'd Rather Be an Old Man's Sweetheart by Candi Staton  Wayne features a soul hit from Muscle Shoals.  This is Staton's first hit, rising to number 9 on the R&B charts, and number 46 on the pop charts.  Staton is known as the "First Lady of Southern Soul."  "I'd rather be an old man's sweetheart than a young man's fool." 

INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

A Boy Named Sue by Johnny Cash Cash released this novelty song telling the story of a boy who had to grow up tough after his absentee father left him with the name of Sue.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot would see his commercial success zenith with this tenth studio album, Sundown.  Lightfoot got his start in music at an early age, singing in the choir at St. Paul's United Church in Orillia, Ontario as a child. As a young man he lived in California for a short period, studying jazz composition and writing jingles to support himself, but he soon chose to return to his native Canada and never left.  Gordon Lightfoot would inspire many artists - Bob Dylan considered him a type of mentor - and numerous artists would cover his songs, including artists like Glenn Campbell, Olivia Newton-John, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, and the Grateful Dead. 

Sundown showcases Lightfoot's folk and country blend.  It hit number 1 on the US Billboard 200 charts, the only Lightfoot album to do so to date.  

Lightfoot's baritone voice and acoustic-led approach to songwriting would prove a powerful formula for success in the soft rock genre of the 70's.  Gordon Lightfoot would continue writing songs for many years, and his 21'st studio album was released in 2020.

Brian brings us this album for today's podcast.

Sundown The title track was inspired by Lightfoot's then-girlfriend, Cathy Smith.  She would spend a lot of time drinking in the bars during the day while Lightfoot was working on the album, and he worried about her running off with someone.  And yes, the song was written around sundown.  It was Lightfoot's only Number 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.

High and Dry This upbeat folk song references the sea as a metaphor for a girl who the singer hopes will settle down before she gets left high and dry.  The female harmonies on this song are from Cathy Smith, with whom Lightfoot was having a tumultuous relationship (see above: “Sundown.”).

The Watchman’s Gone Speculation abounds that the Watchman in this deeper cut may be alcohol, or the devil, or maybe death.  "You better beware, knowin' the watchman's always there."

Carefree Highway This song peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.  It tells of the highway as a means to escape the oft-returning thoughts of a relationship that was lost long ago.  Lightfoot saw a sign to Carefree, Arizona, and that inspired the title.

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Day By Day by Robin Lamont (from the motion picture “Godspell”)  This song was on the charts at the time.  It came from the motion picture, based on the musical "Godspell."

STAFF PICKS:

Music Eyes by Hartsfield  Wayne leads off the staff picks with an underrated but epic song.  JC Hartsfield and Perry Jordan created the band in 1970 in Chicago, though the band has more of a country rock or southern rock sound.  Perry Jordan died in 2011, and JC Hartsfield died after a motorcycle accident in 2014.  The song was written by Jordan and inspired by a friend's 3 year-old daughter.

Spiders and Snakes by Jim Stafford Rob brings us this novelty song with a swamp rock feel.  Stafford cautions all the guys on being a bit too boyish around the women.  "I don't like spiders and snakes, and that ain't what it takes to love me."

Rock On by David Essex  Bruce's staff pick takes a psychedelic turn.  Essex would take this song to number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.  It is an ode to the old days of Rock and Roll, with its reference to James Dean, blue suede shoes, and summertime blues.  Michael Damian would take a cover to number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1989.

Boogie Down by Eddie Kendricks Brian's staff pick takes a dangerously disco turn.  Singer-songwriter Eddie Kendricks who co-founded the Temptations would do well in this solo outing.  This falsetto song just missed the top of the charts, hitting number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.  

COMEDY TRACK:

The Streak by Ray Stevens And with that, we're off and running.  He likes to show off his physique.  Boogity, Boogity!

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Foreigner took  some significant time between their fourth and fifth studio albums.  Agent Provocateur was released in December of 1984 and made it to number 5 on the US charts.  Interestingly it hit number 1 in the UK, the only Foreigner album to do so.  It had a balance of heavier rock songs and lighter ballads, allowing the group to appeal to both male and female fans.

At the time, Foreigner consisted of Lou Gramm on lead vocals and percussion, Mick Jones on guitars and keyboards, Rick Wills on bass, and Dennis Elliott on drums.  Jones and Gramm are the primary songwriters, and their differences fuel an excellent sound.  Unfortunately, writing credits around this album and its big hit, "I Want to Know What Love Is" would drive dissent.  Gramm would appear on the next Foreigner album, then would split from the group.

Friend of the show John Lynch joins us in Bruce's absence, and Rob brings us this album.

Tooth and Nail The track that leads off the album was co-written by Mick Jones and Lou Gramm.  While it received some airplay, this rocker is an underrated song from Foreigner.  The lyrics describe a boy considered to be not good enough for the girl, and the fight that he would wage to be worthy of her.

Reaction to Action The third single from the album is a more hard rocking and energetic song than the first two singles.   Jones and Gramm share writing credits for this one as well.  The lyrics tell of an intriguing girl and how her actions prompt a "reaction to action."

A Love in Vain This deeper cut has a heavy synthesizer sound and a lighter rock feel.  This song is also a good showcase of Gramm's vocals.

I Want to Know What Love Is This is the first single and big hit from the album.  It was the song that propelled the album, but drove a wedge between Gramm and Jones.  The track features a New Jersey choir backing Gramm's vocals.  Mick Jones spent a lot of time with the choir, freeing Gramm to sing as he wished.  This freedom, coupled with disputes about writing credits, would drive later decisions for Gramm to depart the group.

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Main theme from "Monday Night Football" Broadcaster Howard Cosell would depart the booth, retiring this month.

STAFF PICKS:

Walking on a Thin Line by Huey Lewis & the News  Brian starts off the staff picks with the fifth single off the album "Sports."  Despite its upbeat sound, the subject is more serious than many other Huey Lewis songs.  It tells of an American soldier trained as a sniper in the Vietnam War, and who must face his demons when he returns home.  

Naughty Naughty by John Parr   Wayne features a debut single with a great synth beat.  English singer songwriter John Parr writes lyrics attempting a romantic conquest.  

Like a Virgin by Madonna John brings us pop phenomenon Madonna with her first number 1 hit.  The song's co-writer Billy Steinberg drew inspiration for this song from a new romantic interest during a time when he thought he would never get over a previous relationship.  The song would become a signature song for Madonna and an iconic song of the 80's.

Black Cars by Gino Vannelli Rob continues the synth heavy trend in this podcast.  The title track from the album of the same name tells of an aging woman fighting the fading of her beauty.  "Black cars look better in the shade.  She slips her lipstick on right before she sleeps for all those phantom lovers in her dreams."

INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

Junku by Herbie Hancock This song was played on Saturday Night Live when Hancock was the musical guest in the month.

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NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Aretha Franklin got her start at an early age in Gospel music.  As the granddaughter of Gospel great Mahalia Jackson and the daughter of a prominent Baptist preacher, Franklin was heard on her father's "gospel caravan" tours at the age of twelve.  By the time she became an adult in 1960 she had decided that she wanted to go into more pop music, and moved to New York for this purpose.  She signed a deal with Columbia Records, in 1960, but her career would not really take off until moving to Atlantic Records in 1966.  By 1968 she was considered by many to be the most successful singer in the nation, and already crowned the "Queen of Soul."

Franklin toured outside the US for the first time in late April 1968 through May 1968.  She performed in Paris on May 7, 1968, and this concert would be released as the live album Aretha in Paris in the fall of 1968.  It was Franklin's second live album, and the first for Atlantic Records where most of her hits were recorded.

Some have criticized the backing band as not up to the task of supporting Franklin.  However, this album captures Franklin at the top of her game at a time when she was cranking out some of the biggest hits of her career.  It would be difficult for any supporting band to keep up, particularly one assembled for an overseas tour.  Regardless, this is a great album to explore as a snapshot of Aretha Franklin at the height of success.

Lynch brings us a high energy live soul album from the Queen of Soul in her prime for today's podcast.

(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction This Rolling Stones cover is the lead-off track to the album and to the concert.  The Stones had released this song in 1965, and it had become their first number 1 song in the States.  Franklin takes the tempo up for this cover.

(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman Carole King and Gerry Goffin wrote this song for Franklin based on an idea from producer Jerry Wexler.  It originally appeared on Franklin's album "Lady Soul", and went to number 8 on the U.S. charts.  It would make history when it hit the UK charts a week after Franklin's death in 2018, 51 years after the single was first released. 

(Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone The original single for this live song was released on the "Lady Soul" album, and reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.  This song was written by Franklin and her then-husband Teddy White. The studio version of this song utilized the talents of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, who were flown in from Alabama to record in a New York City studio.

Chain of Fools Songwriter Don Covay wrote this song in his youth, and presented it to producer Jerry Wexler as a song for Otis Redding.  Wexler decided to have Franklin record it instead of Redding.  It was a big hit, taking the number 1 slot on the R&B charts for four weeks, number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and delivering Franklin a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance.

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Theme from the television comedy show “Laugh In” This sketch comedy show would capture a lot of American counter-culture of the time from Tiny Tim to "sock it to me!"

STAFF PICKS:

Ride My See Saw by the Moody Blues Wayne kicks off the staff picks with a psychedelic song from the second Moody Blues album, "In Search of the Lost Chord."  The song is about leaving school and finding that the world isn't what you thought it would be.  On the album, the song is preceded by a spoken word introduction called "Departure."

Harper Valley PTA by Jeannie C. Riley Rob's staff pick is a storytelling song written by Tom T. Hall about a widow named Mrs. Johnson and her tangle with the PTA.  When her teenage daughter received a note from the Harper Valley PTA criticizing the way she is living, Mrs. Johnson attends the next meeting and reveals some indiscretions of the other PTA members.

Light My Fire by Jose Feliciano Bruce features an acoustic cover of the Doors hit single with a Latin twist.  Jose Feliciano is best known for the Christmas song "Feliz Navidad," but this Puerto Rican artist also had a hit with this cover that peaked at number 3 on in late summer 1968.  His album "Feliciano!" is a selection of acoustic cover songs, and his most successful one.  He won "Best Male Pop Vocal Performance" at the 1969 Grammy Awards for this cover.

Son of a Preacher Man by Dusty Springfield Lynch closes out the staff picks with a song that writers John Hurley and Ronnie Wilkins wrote with Aretha Franklin in mind.  When Atlantic Records producer Jerry Wexler heard it, he thought it would be a good fit for Dusty Springfield who was recording her "Dusty in Memphis" album at the time.  

INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

And I Love Her by Jose Feliciano We double up on the Latin acoustic stylings of Feliciano as this Beatles cover takes us out of this week's podcast.  

Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?”

NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

The superhero movie “The Crow,” released in 1994, will forever be known for two events.  First, the tragic death of lead actor Brandon Lee, son of Bruce Lee, during production of the film would cast a pall over the movie from then on.  Second, the outstanding music of The Crow:  Original Motion Picture Soundtrack would result in a chart-topping album.  This soundtrack is a veritable who's who of alternative rock at the time, including artists like The Cure, Violent Femmes, Nine Inch Nails, and Stone Temple Pilots.

The Crow is based on a comic book series of the same name, written in 1989.  The protagonist is brutally killed by a gang along with his fiancée, and is brought back to life by a crow to wreak vengeance on the murderers.

This soundtrack would hit number 1 on the Billboard 200 charts in 1994.

Friend of the show John Lynch leads the commentary on this album.

Burn by The Cure The Cure was an inspiration for James O'Barr, the creator of the comic series, and lead man Robert Smith wrote this song specifically for the film.  Burn leads off the album.  

Golgotha Tenement Blues by Machines of Loving Grace This song was also written specifically for the film.  The name of the song takes Christian imagery and reflects it on the dark mood set by the movie.  Golgotha was the place where Jesus was crucified, and Tenement reflects the ghetto where the protagonist originated.  The song appears only on the soundtrack, not on any MOLG album.

Color Me Once by Violent Femmes This track would significantly enhance the popularity of the Violent Femmes.  The song depicts disappointment in relationships when hard realities dash hopes.  

Slip Slide Melting by For Love Not Lisa A rocking track from an underrated group.  KISS alum Ace Frehley wrote songs and made guest appearances with For Love Not Lisa.  Slip Slide Melting appears on their first album entitled “Melting,” which was released in 1993.  They would release one other album before disbanding in 1996.

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Main Theme from NFL on FOX  Newcomer network FOX debuts its first NFL game in August of 1994.  

STAFF PICKS:

New Age Girl by Deadeye Dick Wayne leads off the staff picks with a song from the soundtrack of “Dumb and Dumber.”  The song describes Mary Moon, a new age vegetarian.  It generated some controversy with its lyrics, “she don't eat meat, but she sure likes the bone.”  Some radio stations would edit out the word "bone."  

Breathe by Collective Soul  Rob features a song off Collective Soul's 1993 album “Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid.”  Hailing from Stockbridge, Georgia, Collective Soul would have a number of hits beginning in the 1990s, particularly “Shine” and “The World I Know.”

Come to My Window by Melissa Etheridge Brian brings us the second single from Etheridge's breakout fourth album “Yes I Am.”  The song remained in the Billboard Hot 100 for 44 weeks.  Etheridge would win a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.

Don't Turn Around by Ace of Base John Lynch closes out the staff picks with Swedish reggae group Ace of Base, performing a remastered song originally performed by Tina Turner in 1986.  Ace of Base would take their version to number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

Theme from the motion picture “The Little Rascals” A movie version of the of the old Our Gang comedy short films from 1922 was released in this month.  

Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?”

NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

1968 was a year of disappointments for the Monkees.  During this year their television series was cancelled, their first motion picture effort failed at the box office, and band member Peter Tork would leave the group at the end of the year.  Despite all this they would still find success in their fifth studio album, The Birds, The Bees & the Monkees.  This album would chart at number 3 in the United States and would sell over a million copies.

Members Mickey Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork had gained artistic control and the right to play their own instruments by 1967, and all band members were credited as producers for the songs on this album.  However, much of the music on this album was created by members going their own separate ways and working with session musicians to create the tracks, with few collaborative efforts represented on the album.  Nevertheless, the album shows a diverse range of styles from broadway pop, to country & western, to psychedelia.  Songs from Mickey Dolenz, Davy Jones, and Michael Nesmith are represented on the album, and only Peter Tork is excluded.  Tork would contribute piano work to the song “Daydream Believer,” but little else on the album.

Friend of the show Mike Fernandez brings us this album in Wayne's absence. 

Daydream Believer John Stewart of the Kingston Trio wrote this song, and it was originally performed by the Monkees with Davy Jones singing lead.  It hit number 1 on the US charts.  The original lyrics were “and now you know how funky I can be,” but “funky” was changed to “happy” due to concerns that funky might have drug or other unsavory references.

Auntie's Municipal Court  Mickey Dolenz sings lead on this track composed by  Michael Nesmith and Keith Allison.  We feel it has a “jangle pop country feel.”  The title doesn't appear in the lyrics, and writer Michael Nesmith has no recollection why it was named as it was.  It was not the only song whose title was not referenced in the song.  

Valleri   Tommy  Boyce and Bobby Hart wrote this song with Davy Jones on lead.  It reached number 3 on the US charts and would be the last top 10 showing for the Monkees.  Guitar work is done by Louie Shelton, a session guitarist with the Wrecking Crew.

Zor and Zam  Bill and John Chadwick penned this track, sung by Mickey Dolenz.  It is an unusual anti-war song in the Monkee's catalogue.  The lyrics describe preparation for a war between two kingdoms, but no one shows up when the war is supposed to happen.  This psychedelic track closes the album.

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Main theme from the television series “The Andy Griffith Show” This long running series on the life and time of Sheriff Andy Taylor of Mayberry, North Carolina ended its run in this month. 

STAFF PICKS:

Kiss Me Goodbye by Petula Clark Brian's leads off the staff picks with a Les Reed and Barry Mason composition.  This song would reach number 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and would be the last time Petula Clark reached into the top 30 on that chart.  

Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) by The First Edition  Bruce brings us a psychedelic rock song recorded by the First Edition as their second single, and the first to feature Kenny Rogers on lead vocals.  It peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Charts and was Rogers' first top 10 hit.  The solo is played by Glen Campbell with heavy compression and tremolo to get the psychedelic feel.  The lyrics are a warning about the dangers of LSD.

Lady Madonna by the Beatles  Rob's staff pick is a well-known tune.  This was written by Paul McCartney, and marked a change into a more rock sound from the psychedelic sound they had previously explored.  It talks about a working class mother who has something to do every day of the week.  

A Beautiful Morning by the Rascals Mike features a very optimistic tune from a prolific group.  This easy breezy song was written by Rascals members Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati, Jr. in Honolulu, Hawaii, where beautiful mornings are a common occurrence.

INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

2001:  A Space Odyssey (Also Sprach Zarathustra by Ricard Strauss) Stanley Kubrick would make this Richard Strauss theme famous in his epic science fiction movie based on the Arthur C. Clarke book. The film as released this month in 1968....and we couldn't pronounce it either!!

Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?”

NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

We at What the Riff!?! hope that y'all have a great Christmas — we hope these songs make your season a little more merry and bright.

“Deck the Halls” by Twisted Sister This classic carol was probably not originally envisioned to be quite as rocking as this, but Dee Snyder and Twisted Sister took it up a notch!  This is the sixth and last Twisted Sister studio album they would produce, and we’re sure they donned their gay apparel for this final outing.  

“Skynyrd Family” by Lynyrd Skynyrd Some southern charm was put on this song that tells of Lynyrd Skynyrd finishing up their tour and headed home for Christmas.  It is off their eleventh studio album entitled “Christmas Time Again,” released in 2000.   

“I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” by the Jackson 5 John Lynch brings us a classic Christmas song as performed by the Jackson 5.  Michael Jackson recorded this song on his 12th birthday in 1970.

“2000 Miles” by  the Pretenders This song was on “Learning to Crawl,” the breakout studio album by the Pretenders released in 1983.  Chrissie Hynde wrote the song for James Honeyman-Scott, the group's original guitarist who had passed away the year prior to this recording.

“Mistress for Christmas” by AC/DC Rob may find a lump of coal in his stocking for picking this song for the Christmas podcast!  Brian Johnson of AC/DC isn't looking for peace, love, and joy for Christmas…but for a little Christmas nookie.  We learned that this song was inspired by Donald Trump.

“Joy to the World” by Michael Bolton We don't get a lot of Michael Bolton on our podcasts, and John Lynch set out to rectify that.  Bolton voices this classic Christmas hymn in his unique Yacht Rock style.

“Boogie Woogie Santa Claus” by the Brian Seltzer Orchestra Brian Seltzer of Stray Cats fame put this one out there in 2002.  The Brian Seltzer Orchestra formed in 1990 as a swing and jump blues band, and put out the album “Boogie Woogie Christmas” with this and other Christmas classics.  This is a cover of the song, which was originally released by Mabel Scott in 1954.

“(There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays” by Perry Como Perry Como released this classic Christmas song in 1954.  It tells of the longing to be home at Christmas, and some of the travelers making their way home.

“Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee Johnny Marks, who wrote “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,” “A Holly Jolly Christmas,” and other Christmas songs wrote this one as well.  Brenda Lee recorded this in 1958 when she was 13 years old.  It is the fifth best selling Christmas single of all time according to Neilson SoundScan.  

“Feliz Navidad”  by Jose Feliciano Puerto Rican musician Jose Feliciano wrote this in 1970. He recorded it in Los Angeles while feeling homesick at Christmas as his extended family was in New York.  “Feliz Navidad” means “Merry Christmas” in Spanish. 

“It's Gonna Be a Punk Rock Christmas” by the Ravers Wayne brings us a bit of PUNK for the Christmas season.  The Ravers released this back in 1977.  

“It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by Andy Williams We decided to include more “non-rock singles” in this episode, and this classic holiday tune originated in 1963 on Williams' first Christmas album.  It tells of all the activities that surrounds the Christmas season.

“Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!” by Dean Martin Sammy Cahn and  Jule Styne wrote this in the summer of 1945 during a heat wave in Hollywood, California.  Dean Martin released a version in 1959, and re-recorded it in 1966.

“Blue Christmas” by Seymour Swine and the Squealers This novelty song was recorded in 1984 for a North Carolina radio station morning show.  Denny Brownlee is the comedian and impressionist who brought Seymour Swine to life - primarily to avoid copyright issues associated with ©Porky Pig.

“O Come All Ye Grateful Dead Heads” by Bob Rivers Comedian Bob Rivers had this parody on his “Twisted Christmas” album in 1987.

We hope y'all have a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?”

NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.

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**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.