THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE! Great Buildings, "Hold On To Something"

Drawn from a previous post, this is not part of my book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1).

An infinite number of tracks can each be THE greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns. Today, this is THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE!

GREAT BUILDINGS: Hold On To Something

Written by Danny Wilde, Ian Ainsworth, and Phil Solem

Produced by John Boylan

Single from the album Apart From The Crowd, Columbia Records, 1981

Recommended if you like [your Fave Rave here].

RIYLs can help us find new favorites. But they can also create a false and unfair expectation. In 1981, I read somewhere (possibly in CREEM, maybe in Trouser Press) that Great Buildings were like a male counterpart to the Go-Go's. I believe it was meant as a compliment, and since Beauty And The Beat was my top album that year, the comparison provided sufficient push for me to purchase Great Buildings' Apart From The Crowd LP before I had ever heard a note of the group's music.

And I was disappointed. It didn't sound anything at all like the Go-Go's. I filed it away.

I came back to it, though. Freed of the misconception that it would sound like boys singin' original tunes that channeled "We Got The Beat," I grew to appreciate the LP on its own sterling merit. Opening track "Hold On To Something" freaking knocked me out, once I gave it its proper opportunity. 

Great Buildings' Danny Wilde and Ian Ainsworth had been in the Quick, whose quirky 1976 cover of the Beatles' "It Won't Be Long" got some airplay on Utica's WOUR-FM when I was in high school. After Great Buildings closed up shop, Wilde went solo, and eventually reconnected with Great Buildings guitarist Phil Solem to form the Rembrandts. The Rembrandts scored a Top 20 hit with "Just The Way It Is, Baby," and achieved pop culture immortality with "I'll Be There For You," the theme from Friends. Maybe you're sick of that song--dig what you dig--but it was the number one song on the radio the week my daughter was born, and I will always, always cherish that memory.

Comparing Great Buildings to the Go-Go's was a fake-out, and the disparity between what was teased and what was delivered turned me off. Initially. But without that PSYCH! moment, would I have even gotten around to hearing Great Buildings at the time? No harm, no foul. The apparent dead end of that RIYL still led me to "Hold On To Something," a magnificent track that has now been in my all-time Hot 200 for more than four decades. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Baby, baby, baby, hold on.

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar. You can also become a Boppin' booster on my Patreon page.

My new book of short stories Guitars Vs. Rayguns!! Short Stories And Other White Lies is out now, and you can get autographed copies of the new book and my previous book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) directly from me. You can still get my previous previous book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones from publisher Rare Bird Books, OR an autographed copy here. If you like the books, please consider leaving a rating and/or review at the usual online resources.

I compiled a various-artists tribute album called Make Something Happen! A Tribute To The Flashcubes, and it's pretty damned good; you can read about it here and order it here. 

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, streaming at SPARK stream and on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO. You can read about our history here

THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE! The Tearjerkers, "Syracuse Summer"

Drawn from previous posts, this is not part of my book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1).

An infinite number of tracks can each be THE greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns. Today, this is THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE!

THE TEARJERKERS: Syracuse Summer

Written by Gary Frenay

Produced by Ducky Carlisle and Gary Frenay

Single, Sunday Records, 1980; unedited version released on the various-artists compilation This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 3, Kool Kat Musik, 2013

I hate hot weather. I hate cold weather, too; it's not an either/or situation, and it certainly makes sense to me to despise both extremes anyway. But when it's chilly, I can add extra layers of clothing. I can't peel off my skin when the temps pop to some unholy number that starts with a friggin' 9.

Even so, the residual little kid lurking within me retains an affection for summer. There's a sense of greater possibilities, a broader array of things to do, the elusive allure of vacation and fun. 

It doesn't last as long so it means a little bit more.

"Syracuse Summer" was written by Gary Frenay of the Flashcubes, and released as a single by the Tearjerkers in 1980. Vocals are by Gary's long-time pal/Tearjerkers guitarist Charlie Robbins and Tearjerkers bassist Dave DeCirce, Gary and his fellow Flashcube Arty Lenin join Ducky Carlisle and Keith Vincelette on backing vocals (as Northside All-Star Singers), Gary sings the bridge, and Tearjerkers guitarist Dave Soule and drummer Larry Dziergas complete the magic of this perfect, perfect single.

This sublime tribute to the mercurial climate of Central New York--Seasons change and you live extremes/You got snowfall covering your sunny dreams--has owned a permanent berth on my all-time Hot 100 for more than four decades. Its only CD or digital appearance to date was on our 2013 compilation This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Volume 3, which included a cool percussive intro that was omitted on the original 45. I find I can hate hot weather and still absolutely, unequivocally adore this song.

I believe "Syracuse Summer" transcends its point of origin and its Central New York perspective. It travels well, and it's instantly relatable to pop fans across all climates and conditions. The song was subsequently recorded again by Gary and Arty with their combo the FabCats, and I always wished the Flashcubes themselves would have been willing to take a stab at it. That was not to be. But I still wish it had happened.

Summer fades. Leaves fall. Temps drop. Bright lights dim. In Syracuse, the summers are not built to last. But we still play music, all year long, in snow or shine. Even in Syracuse, the best parts of summer can last forever. 

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar. You can also become a Boppin' booster on my Patreon page.

My new book of short stories Guitars Vs. Rayguns!! Short Stories And Other White Lies is out now, and you can get autographed copies of the new book and my previous book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) directly from me. You can still get my previous previous book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones from publisher Rare Bird Books, OR an autographed copy here. If you like the books, please consider leaving a rating and/or review at the usual online resources.

I compiled a various-artists tribute album called Make Something Happen! A Tribute To The Flashcubes, and it's pretty damned good; you can read about it here and order it here. 

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, streaming at SPARK stream and on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO. You can read about our history here

THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE! Styx, "Kiss Your Ass Goodbye"

Drawn from previous posts, this is not part of my book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1)

An infinite number of tracks can each be THE greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns. Today, this is THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE!

STYX: Kiss Your Ass Goodbye

Written by Glen Burtnik, Tommy Shaw, Lawrence Gowan, James Young, and Todd Sucherman

Produced by Gary Loizzo, James Young, and Tommy Shaw

From the album Cyclorama, Sanctuary Records, 2003

A few years back, writer S. W. Lauden (alias musician Steve Coulter of Tsar and the Brothers Steve) posted an excellent piece called "Let's Argue About Power Pop!," wherein our Steve ably took on the endless battles among power pop fans to agree on...anything. ANYthing. Roses are red. Water is wet. The sky is above, not below. Bounty is the quicker picker-upper. Anything! Steve gets it. And I can say that even though I (predictably) disagree with some aspects of his power pop description. Those are just details. Steve gets the essence exactly right.

One of the things that drives power pop traditionalists batty is suggesting that some popular mainstream rock band is a power pop act. Styx comes up as an occasional example, and trust me, Styx is not and has never been power pop.

I mean, except for the time that Styx was power pop.

Listen, man: I hated Styx. Hated 'em. In the late '70s, when I was a bourgeoning young punk rocker and power pop fan in college, proudly sporting a chip on my shoulder and the Ramones in my heart, Styx was the freakin' enemy, THE enemy, more than disco, more than prog, more than Southern Rock, more than Eagles, even: Pompous and bloated, anti-punk, anti-pop. The music of Styx represented everything I despised. One night out drinking, I used my jackknife to carve STYX STYNX into the tabletop at a local nightspot. It is safe to say that I was not a fan of Styx.

For all that, I usually declared a ceasefire in my war on Styx when their song "Lorelei" came on. Unabashedly pop, loaded with harmonies, the group's prerequisite bombast largely held in check, a bit too slick but still energetic, "Lorelei" is almost power pop. Its path to true 'n' everlasting janglebuzz is blocked only by lead singer Dennis DeYoung sounding annoyingly and whiningly like Dennis DeYoung. And it's still a great track anyway. I wished it had been by the Hollies instead of...these guys.

There's no such qualifier for "Kiss Your Ass Goodbye." This track from the 2003 Styx album Cyclorama is certified 100% DeYoung-free. Glen Burtnik (now a member of the Weeklings) was the main songwriter, sharing a co-write with the other members of Styx at the time. Burtnik sings lead, and the result is as power pop as the Raspberries or the Rubinoos. Hell, Burtnik even sounds a bit like noted pop fan Robbie Rist, and that is a compliment for damned sure. Perfect pop. Perfect power pop. By Styx. As hell freezes over and the power pop curmudgeons rail in protest, this track invites naysayers to pucker up already.

I came to the song via an online friend named Kathryn Francis. I haven't heard from Fran in a very, very long time, and I hope she's doing well. She was a fan of both Styx AND This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, and she was determined to break down my aversion to this band she loved. She pointed out a few lesser-known Styx tracks for subsequent airplay on TIRnRR, and our pop worlds co-existed in peace.

BUT! In 2003, Fran told me there was this new Styx song that would demolish my antipathy, no matter how hard I resisted. Man, when Kathyrn's right, she's right! "Kiss Your Ass Goodbye" remains an incredible track, a power pop tune--I said, A POWER POP TUNE!!--that has carved out a permanent berth in my ongoing All-Time Top 200. I haven't changed my mind about the familiar stuff, and I hear that many actual Styx fans disdain "Kiss Your Ass Goodbye," so I guess that dynamic remains in place between us.

I say this a lot: An act you actively despise may still be capable of creating one or more tracks you flat-out adore. And make no mistake: I loathed Styx. Still, an open mind can reap benefits. "Kiss Your Ass Goodbye" is now an all-time Fave Rave, and there are a handful of other Styx tracks that I don't mind: "Lorelei" as noted, plus "Too Much Time On My Hands" and a 2005 track called "Everybody Raise A Glass," the latter introduced to me via The Spoon, the essential podcast hosted by the above-mentioned Robbie Rist with Chris Jackson and Thom Bowers. I don't think the day will come when I have any use whatsoever for "Babe" or "Renegade" or goddamned "Mr. Roboto," but I concede that the Styx brand name doesn't necessarily have to prompt an immediate revulsion.

Yeah, y'know...not necessarily.

Even with the bands we don't like as much as some of our friends do, that damned, cheery open mind can unlock the doors of discovery. Raise a glass! Seize a little of that too much time on our hands! Tell Lorelei we oughta live together! In the ending you can bet everyone's an equal. Here's to the Men of The Spoon, and also to our old correspondent Kathryn Francis, wherever she is. Thank you, friends. Domo arigato. It's Styx, babe.

And, of course, this one Styx song is fully, resolutely power pop. Don't argue with me.

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar. You can also become a Boppin' booster on my Patreon page.

My new book of short stories Guitars Vs. Rayguns!! Short Stories And Other White Lies is out now, and you can get autographed copies of the new book and my previous book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) directly from me. You can still get my previous previous book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones from publisher Rare Bird Books, OR an autographed copy here. If you like the books, please consider leaving a rating and/or review at the usual online resources.

I compiled a various-artists tribute album called Make Something Happen! A Tribute To The Flashcubes, and it's pretty damned good; you can read about it here and order it here. 

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, streaming at SPARK stream and on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO. You can read about our history here

THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE! The Monkees, "Words"

Drawn from previous posts, this is not part of my book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1), though the book does contain a pretty emphatic sermon on behalf of the Monkees' "Porpoise Song (Theme From Head)."

An infinite number of tracks can each be THE greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns. Today, this is THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE!

THE MONKEES: Words

Written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart

Produced by Chip Douglas

Single (B-side of "Pleasant Valley Sunday"), Colgems Records, 1967

This superb track was a mere B-side, friends. They don't make throwaways like they used to.

Written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, "Words" has been one of my favorite Monkees tracks since the mid '70s, when I discovered there were Monkees songs above and beyond the handful I'd known since the previous decade. I've told the story elsewhere, so suffice it to say that cable TV reruns of The Monkees led me to the bulk of my most cherished Monkees cuts.

"Words" was one of the kingpins, along with "The Door Into Summer," "Daily Nightly," "Love Is Only Sleeping," and "What Am I Doing Hangin' 'Round?," all from the group's 1967 album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd.  I love the way the bass line on "Words" seems to coil like a cobra poised to strike, the shimmering, mesmerizing vibe, the pounding throb as it heads near the chorus, the sheer majesty of Micky Dolenz's vocal, and...and...

...and Peter Tork.

Tork did not take many lead vocal turns in the official Monkees canon. Vault raids in subsequent decades would exhume a few additional Tork-sung artifacts, and our Peter would much later deliver his best-ever vocal on "Wasn't Born To Follow," contained on the group's 2016 triumph Good Times! But in the midst of original Monkeemania, producers deemed his singing pitchy, and didn't use him. Tork's voice is really heard but four times on that era's records: Warbling the silly novelty number "Your Auntie Grizelda" on More Of The Monkees, rocking his own "Long Title: Do I Have To Do This All Over Again" on the Head soundtrack, trading leads with Davy Jones on the Headquarters track "Shades Of Grey," and doing the same thing with Dolenz on "Words."

"Words" was and remains my pick of the bunch.

"Words" was first done by the Leaves (of "Hey Joe" fame) in 1966. In between the Leaves and Pisces, a Boyce and Hart-produced Monkees version of the song had been used on the TV show. The remake on Pisces replaces Boyce and Hart's studio musicians with Tork and fellow Monkee Michael Nesmith, plus Jones on percussion, producer Chip Douglas on bass, and Fast Eddie Hoh on drums. The musical performance is hypnotic, Micky's voice is as terrific as always, and he mixes well with Peter in the back-and-forth leads.

The track's visual image was established by the TV show's video of the song, with a switched instrumentation line-up of Monkees--Tork on guitar, Nesmith on bass, Jones on drums, Dolenz with tambourine in hand--somberly miming and lip-syncing with brooding intensity. On record, the alternating lead vocals by Micky and Peter spit out the venom of a spurned, mistreated victim of passion, discarded by a cruel mistress. Chip Douglas's bass writhes and coils like a deadly serpent, Tork's keyboards heighten the sense of menace, and freakin' wind chimes add a deceptively pretty veneer as the singers' hearts break. 

Irrevocably. 

Sticks and stones? Words that never were true can hurt pretty efficiently in their own right. Strange voices in my ear. Sing it, Micky. Sing it, Peter. And play, magic fingers. Whether we're believers or just steppin' stones, we listen to the band.

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar. You can also become a Boppin' booster on my Patreon page.

My new book of short stories Guitars Vs. Rayguns!! Short Stories And Other White Lies is out now, and you can get autographed copies of the new book and my previous book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) directly from me. You can still get my previous previous book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones from publisher Rare Bird Books, OR an autographed copy here. If you like the books, please consider leaving a rating and/or review at the usual online resources.

I compiled a various-artists tribute album called Make Something Happen! A Tribute To The Flashcubes, and it's pretty damned good; you can read about it here and order it here. 

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, streaming at SPARK stream and on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO. You can read about our history here

THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE! The Rolling Stones, "She's A Rainbow"

Drawn from previous posts, this is not part of my book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1).

An infinite number of tracks can each be THE greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns. Today, this is THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE!

THE ROLLING STONES: She's A Rainbow

Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards

Produced by The Rolling Stones

Single, Decca Records [UK]/London Records [US], 1967

Standing in the shadows of Sgt. Pepper, or a bold Stonesy step the pop world wasn't ready to take in 1967? 

It's been many, many years since I've listened to the Rolling Stones' 1967 album Their Satanic Majesties Request in its entirety, and I owe myself a refresher course in its virtues, vices, lanterns, and gompers. My first copy of the record came a little more than a decade after the fact, a used reissue pressing sans 3D cover graphics, but still dripping with the black-light atmosphere of its psychedelic reputation. It was...fine. Good. It was no Aftermath, certainly no Big Hits (High Tide And Green Grass), but really, what was? I kinda liked the hippie vibe of the LP's opening track "Sing This All Together." My proto-punk teen self took to the riff-driven "Citadel," and I paid occasional tribute to the bass player with spins of Bill Wyman's "In Another Land." The rest of the record rarely registered on my Satanic Majesties' request line in 1978.

That said, Side Two does contain a couple of tracks I knew from my battered 'n' cherished copy of Through The Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2): "2000 Light Years From Home" and "She's A Rainbow." Those tracks were paired as a single just ahead of the Satanic Majesties Request LP's release. There's much to be said for both, but "She's A Rainbow" was my favorite of the two, more accessible as a pop song than "2000 Light Years From Home" would wish to be. 

When I (belatedly) began watching the wonderful Ted Lasso series last year, I was taken with the fact that one of the show's characters, Leslie Higgins, has "She's A Rainbow" as his phone's ringtone when he receives a call from his wife Julie. Better yet, it turns out that "She's A Rainbow" was the song playing the moment Mr. Higgins first met the eventual Mrs. Higgins. It is, in the popular parlance, their song. And Leslie keeps it as his ringtone because Julie remains his rainbow, even after decades together.

Satanic? Majestic! Coming in colors every day, "She's A Rainbow" is a pristine expression of love everlasting, courtesy of those bad boys the Rolling Stones. Save your sympathy for some other devil.  Ooh-la-la-ooh-la-la-lala....

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar. You can also become a Boppin' booster on my Patreon page.

My new book of short stories Guitars Vs. Rayguns!! Short Stories And Other White Lies is out now, and you can get autographed copies of the new book and my previous book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) directly from me. You can still get my previous previous book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones from publisher Rare Bird Books, OR an autographed copy here. If you like the books, please consider leaving a rating and/or review at the usual online resources.

I compiled a various-artists tribute album called Make Something Happen! A Tribute To The Flashcubes, and it's pretty damned good; you can read about it here and order it here. 

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, streaming at SPARK stream and on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO. You can read about our history here

THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE! A weekly feature on THIS IS ROCK 'N' ROLL RADIO [updated list]

The pop noir genius of Todd Alcott

Time for another update on This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio's weekly Greatest Record Ever Made! feature.

With the publication of my book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1), some of the GREM! pieces linked below have been removed from this blog for the time being; I'm told it's because of something about free milk and a cow, but I don't understand dairy farming. They'll be back...someday. In the mean time, y'know, BUY THE BOOK!!

Here's the weekly GREM! story so far:

In 2022, we started doing The Greatest Record Ever Made! as a (nearly) weekly feature on This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio. Here's an updated list of the weekly GREM!s so far. More to come. Some of these appeared in my GREM! book, some may or may not appear in the hypothetical GREM! (Volume 2), and one--the Ramones' "I Don't Want To Grow Up"--appears in my book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones.

Each update gives me another chance to share some of Todd Alcott's brilliant images of classic rock 'n' roll songs reimagined as pulp paperbacks. I need to devote a full post to Alcott's work one of these days (or nights). Meanwhile, you can visit his site and buy some stuff. 

And here's a reprise of what I previously wrote about TIRnRR's weekly GREM! series:

An infinite number of tracks can each be THE greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns.

In 2022, with an eye toward mining the vast resource of material prepared for my ongoing concept The Greatest Record Ever Made!, we started doing a weekly GREM! feature on This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl.

Part of the motivation here was, frankly, an effort to cut a tiny little corner in writing my weekly 10 Songs column. See, laziness is the mother of invention. Deciding that one 10 Songs entry each week could be a link to a previously-written Greatest Record Ever Made! piece meant that I only hadda write about nine songs. FREEDOM!

But a weekly feature also enhances the show itself. Prior to this, it had been a very long time since we had any specific weekly feature on TIRnRR. There used to be a weekly Forgotten Original!, there was a weekly Mystery 45! (where Dana grabbed a single from his collection and played it without previewing it), there was a very brief flirtation with Unsafe At Any Speed! (playing a record back at something other than its intended rpm), and I think we even may have had a weekly GREM! feature at some point. Maybe not. Maybe.

But these were all many years ago. The tentative beginning of our current weekly GREM! feature was in February of 2022, when we played Dusty Springfield's "I Only Want To Be With You" on our February 6th show, and then followed with "Thank You, Girl" by the Beatles the next week. Then, in typical fashion, I completely forgot about the idea for a few weeks.

Pretty quick work, right?

GREM! resumed as a weekly thingie at the end of March in 2022, and continued thereafter. It skips a week every so often...but not very often. Anyway, here's a list of all of 'em so far. I think the only one we repeated was "That Thing You Do!" by teen sensations the Wonders. Please be aware that I am not under oath. 

But we played them all on the radio. It's our own ongoing contribution to the infinite.

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights, 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, streaming at sparksyracuse.org and on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO. The weekend stops HERE!

THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE! The Weekly TIRnRR Featured Songs [updated list]

DUSTY SPRINGFIELD: I Only Want To Be With You

THE BEATLES: Thank You, Girl

THE SEARCHERS: Hearts In Her Eyes

THE DAVE CLARK FIVE: Any Way You Want It

THE JAYHAWKS: I'm Gonna Make You Love Me

THE WONDERS: That Thing You Do!

FREDDIE AND THE DREAMERS: Do The Freddie

GLADYS KNIGHT AND THE PIPS: Midnight Train To Georgia

THE FLASHCUBES: No Promise

THE RAMONES: Sheena Is A Punk Rocker

THE WHO: I Can't Explain

THE BUZZCOCKS: Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)

THE RARE BREED: Beg, Borrow And Steal

EYTAN MIRSKY: This Year's Gonna Be Our Year

THE KINKS: Waterloo Sunset

MATERIAL ISSUE: Kim The Waitress

THE SMITHEREENS: Behind The Wall Of Sleep

TRACEY ULLMAN: They Don't Know

STEVIE WONDER: I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)

LITTLE RICHARD: The Girl Can't Help It

CRAZY ELEPHANT: Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'

KISS: Shout It Out Loud

THE RAMONES: I Don't Want To Grow Up

SQUEEZE: Tempted

NELSON RIDDLE: The Batman Theme

ELTON JOHN: Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting

T. REX: 20th Century Boy

THE RASPBERRIES: I Wanna Be With You

SMOKEY ROBINSON AND THE MIRACLES: The Tears Of A Clown

BARON DAEMON AND THE VAMPIRES: The Transylvania Twist

THE NEW YORK DOLLS: Personality Crisis

THE CAST OF WEST SIDE STORY: America

THE MONKEES: Porpoise Song (Theme From Head)

THE KINKS: You Really Got Me

THE MUFFS: Saying Goodbye

VERDELLE SMITH: Life Goes On

THE RAMONES: Blitzkrieg Bop

THE MONKEES: Riu Chiu

MELANIE WITH THE EDWIN HAWKINS SINGERS: Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)

LOVE: 7 And 7 Is
HEART: Kick It Out

THE DIXIE CUPS: Iko Iko

THE YARDBIRDS: Heart Full Of Soul

THE BYRDS: Eight Miles High

RONNIE SPECTOR AND THE E STREET BAND: Say Goodbye To Hollywood

GENE PITNEY: Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa

THE CLASH: Train In Vain

THE SPONGETONES: (My Girl) Maryanne

AMY RIGBY: Dancing With Joey Ramone

THE BAY CITY ROLLERS: Rock And Roll Love Letter

THE BREAKWAYS/PAUL COLLINS: Walking Out On Love

THE FLAMIN' GROOVIES: Shake Some Action

THE RAMONES: I Believe In Miracles

THE MONKEES: The Girl I Knew Somewhere

ALICE COOPER: School's Out

THE MYNAH BIRDS: I Got You (In My Soul)

THE PANDORAS: It's About Time

THE RAMONES: I Wanna Be Sedated [Ramones On 45 Mega Mix]

IKE & TINA TURNER: River Deep--Mountain High

THE DRIFTERS: On Broadway

JUSTINE AND THE UNCLEAN: Vengeance

SUZI QUATRO: I May Be Too Young

THE RUBINOOS: I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend

THE MARVELETTES: I'll Keep Holding On

THE RUNAWAYS: Cherry Bomb

THE BOBBY FULLER FOUR: I Fought The Law

SAM COOKE: Chain Gang

BIG STAR: September Gurls

AL HIRT: The Green Hornet Theme

THE EVERLY BROTHERS: Gone, Gone, Gone

RICK JAMES: Super Freak

THE JAM: That's Entertainment

R. DEAN TAYLOR: Indiana Wants Me

THE BOB SEGER SYSTEM: 2 + 2 = ?

THE LOVIN' SPOONFUL: Summer In The City

JOAN JETT: Bad Reputation

THE VELVELETTES: He Was Really Sayin' Somethin'

THE ONLY ONES: Another Girl, Another Planet

TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS: American Girl

SOLOMON BURKE: Everybody Needs Somebody To Love

THE MC5: Kick Out The Jams

ARTHUR CONLEY: Sweet Soul Music

THE CREATION: Making Time 

BLUE ÖYSTER CULT: This Ain't The Summer Of Love

THE DICTATORS: Who Will Save Rock And Roll?

THE BYRDS: I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better

THE RAMONES: Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)

THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS: All For Swinging You Around

DAVID BOWIE: Life On Mars?

MARYKATE O'NEIL: I'm Ready For My Luck To Turn Around

THE SHANGRI-LAS: Leader Of The Pack

TEGAN AND SARA: Walking With A Ghost

THE COCKTAIL SLIPPERS: St. Valentine's Day Massacre

HOLLY GOLIGHTLY: Time Will Tell

MERLE HAGGARD: Mama Tried

TRANSLATOR: Everywhere That I'm Not

EDDIE COCHRAN: Somethin' Else

RASPBERRIES: Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)

THE VELVET UNDERGROUND: I'll Be Your Mirror

THE FIRST CLASS: Beach Baby

BIG MAMA THORNTON: Hound Dog

THE RAMONES: Swallow My Pride

THE BARBARIANS: Take It Or Leave It

THE MONKEES: The Door Into Summer

BONEY M: My Friend Jack

THE KINKS: Juke Box Music

WONDERBOY: Girl Songs

THE KINKS: (Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman

PARTHENON HUXLEY: Double Our Numbers

COTTON MATHER: The Book Of Too Late Changes

NICK LOWE: So It Goes

CHERIE AND MARIE CURRIE: Since You've Been Gone

THE CASTAWAYS: Liar, Liar

THE DANDY WARHOLS: We Used To Be Friends

THE RUBINOOS: Wouldn't It Be Nice

THE BAY CITY ROLLERS: Wouldn't You Like It

THE RAMONES: Babysitter

THE MONKEES: Love Is Only Sleeping

THE SHIRTS: Tell Me Your Plans

THE GREG KIHN BAND: The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em)

THE BAY CITY ROLLERS: Yesterday's Hero

VAN HALEN: Dance The Night Away

SOUTHSIDE JOHNNY AND THE ASBURY JUKES: I Don't Want To Go Home

DONNA SUMMER: Hot Stuff

THE KINKS: I Took My Baby Home

THE BEATLES: I Should Have Known Better

THE ARCHIES: Get On The Line

HAYLEY MARY: Like A Woman Should

THE DICKIES: Banana Splits

LESLEY GORE: You Don't Own Me

THE KINKS: All Day And All Of The Night

THE PALEY BROTHERS AND RAMONES: Come On Let's Go

JOAN ARMATRADING: Eating The Bear

THE COOKIES: Wounded

THE IDEA: It's About That Time

AMERICA: Sister Golden Hair

ELVIS PRESLEY: Heartbreak Hotel

THE SMITHEREENS: Face The World With Pride

THE PLIMSOULS: A Million Miles Away

THE HOLLIES: I Can't Let Go

THE CHAMBERS BROTHERS: Time Has Come Today

YOKO ONO: Kiss Kiss Kiss

THE JAM: In The City

THE GO-GO'S: We Got The Beat

DAVID JOHANSEN: Frenchette

BADFINGER: Day After Day

THE MONKEES: For Pete's Sake/You Just May Be The One

THE STANDELLS: Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White

STIV BATORS: It's Cold Outside

BLONDIE: (I'm Always Touched By Your) Presence, Dear

THE COWSILLS: She Said To Me

THE SEX PISTOLS: God Save The Queen

THE ROLLING STONES: Happy

THE FIVE STAIRSTEPS: O-o-h Child

THE VENTURES: Walk--Don't Run

KISS: Calling Dr. Love

THE MONKEES: I Never Thought It Peculiar

PAUL REVERE AND THE RAIDERS: Just Like Me

SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE: Everybody Is A Star

THE BEACH BOYS: God Only Knows

THE RAMONES: Carbona Not Glue

THE RONETTES: Be My Baby

OSCAR TONEY, JR.: Ain't That True Love

AMOS MILBURN: Down The Road Apiece

SHAUN CASSIDY: Hey Deanie

THE JACKSON 5: I'll Be There

THE RULERS: I Want My Ramones Records Back

FONTELLA BASS: Rescue Me

THE 13th FLOOR ELEVATORS: You're Gonna Miss Me

THE HIT SQUAD: Best Of Me

HERMAN'S HERMITS: A Must To Avoid

SLYBOOTS: If We Could Let Go

THE MONKEES: (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone [live]

TINA TURNER: The Acid Queen

IRENE PEÑA: Must've Been Good

THE FLASHCUBES: No Promise [4-track]

KISS: Rock And Roll All Nite [live]

SLADE: Gudbuy T' Jane

THE GO-GO'S: Surfing And Spying

BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD: Sit Down I Think I Love You

TAYLOR SWIFT: The Last Great American Dynasty

THE OHMS: License To Kill

SWEET: Ballroom Blitz

WILSON PICKETT: In The Midnight Hour

LIBRARIANS WITH HICKEYS: Listen, The Snow Is Falling

THE TROGGS: Wild Thing

ELVIS PRESLEY: Kentucky Rain

BADFINGER: Baby Blue

THE ISLEY BROITHERS: Shout

ELVIS COSTELLO AND THE ATTRACTIONS: (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding

P. HUX: Better Than Good

THE FLASHCUBES: Reminisce

LL COOL J: Mama Said Knock You Out

THE RUNAWAYS: School Days

TAVARES: It Only Takes A Minute

MADONNA: Dear Jessie

THE SMITHEREENS: House We Used To Live In

THE BARRACUDAS: I Wish It Could Be 1965 Again

MEN WITHOUT HAT: The Safety Dance [extended dance mix]

THE STRAWBERRY ALARM CLOCK: Incense And Peppermints

THE ROLLING STONES: Can't You Hear Me Knocking

1.4.5.: Your Own World

GENERAL JOHNSON AND JOEY RAMONE: Rockaway Beach (On The Beach)

HEADGIRL: Please Don't Touch

TOM KENNY AND THE HI-SEAS: Welcome To The Working Class

RIHANNA: Shut Up And Drive

THE WHO: The Kids Are Alright

THE MONKEES: Birth Of An Accidental Hipster

P. P. ARNOLD: The First Cut Is The Deepest

THE BANGLES: Live

THE RAMONES: Rockaway Beach

ANNETTE FUNICELLO WITH THE BEACH BOYS: The Monkey's Uncle

GENERATION X: Dancing With Myself

CIRCE LINK: I'm On Your Side

THE ROLLING STONES: She's A Rainbow

If you like what you see here on Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do), please consider a visit to CC's Tip Jar. You can also become a Boppin' booster on my Patreon page.

My new book of short stories Guitars Vs. Rayguns!! Short Stories And Other White Lies is out now, and you can get autographed copies of the new book and my previous book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) directly from me. You can still get my previous previous book Gabba Gabba Hey! A Conversation With The Ramones from publisher Rare Bird Books, OR an autographed copy here. If you like the books, please consider leaving a rating and/or review at the usual online resources.

I compiled a various-artists tribute album called Make Something Happen! A Tribute To The Flashcubes, and it's pretty damned good; you can read about it here and order it here. 

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, streaming at SPARK stream and on the Radio Garden app as WESTCOTT RADIO. You can read about our history here