Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 4-29-24

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In their autobiography Hound Dog, songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller tell of one time when they were at Jerry’s apartment. Jerry was in the kitchen while Mike was trying out ideas on the piano. Jerry called out to him “Take out the papers and the trash!” Immediately, Mike responded “Or you don’t get no spending cash.” Ten minutes later, the duo finished writing a rock and roll classic. The Coasters took the song, “Yakety Yak,” to number one.

The late Carl Gardner of The Coasters and The Robins was born on this date in 1928. A few of those groups’ songs with Gardner on lead are featured on today’s playlist.

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Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 9-13-22

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Today’s playlist celebrates the September 13 birthdays of Fiona Apple, MC5’s Fred “Sonic” Smith, Blood Sweat & Tears’ David Clayton-Thomas, Chicago’s Peter Cetera, Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine, The Church’s Steve Kilbey, Aterciopelados’ Andrea Echeverri, Was (Not Was)’s Don Was, Swizz Beats, and Hooverphonic’s Geike Arnaert; and the September 14 birthdays of a-ha’s Morten Harket, Amy Winehouse, Nas, Algiers’ Franklin James Fisher, The Marcels’ Cornelius Harp, Strawberry Alarm Clock’s Ed King, and Akinyele.

Throwback Thursday: 1961

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The years between 1958 and 1963 are often thought of as a sleepy time for rock and roll, a quiet time between the genre’s initial burst onto the charts and the onslaught of the British Invasion. However, lots of great records were charting during those years. Check out this playlist of thirty hits from 1961 for proof.

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Throwback Thursday – 1961

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From 1958 to 1960, Ben E. King was the lead singer of The Drifters, scoring hits with “There Goes My Baby,” “Save the Last Dance for Me,” “This Magic Moment” and “I Count the Tears.” He suggested to the group’s manager, George Treadwell, that they record the spiritual tune “Stand by Me Father,” but Treadwell turned him down. King also asked Treadwell for a greater share of the group’s royalties. Again, Treadwell turned him down. King said goodbye.

King left the group after recording just thirteen songs with them. He soon made the top ten as a solo act with 1961’s “Spanish Harlem.”

Around that time, King was working on a song based on “Stand by Me Father.” He had some lyrics and a melody. He finished the lyrics with his producer, Jerry Leiber. Leiber’s songwriting/production partner, Mike Stoller, added some chords behind the melody, as well as a bass line.

Per Leiber, it’s that last addition that makes Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me” a classic. “The lyrics are good, King’s vocal is great. But Mike’s bass line pushed the song into the land of immortality. Believe me – it’s the bass line.”

“Stand By Me” kicks off this week’s Throwback Thursday playlist, spotlighting hits from 1961.


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Winston + Bobby Brown

The Song Retains The Name

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Winston + Bobby Brown
Today is Bobby Brown’s 46th birthday. A former member of New Edition, Brown had his first solo hit in 1988 with “Don’t Be Cruel,” which reached #8 on the Hot 100. Though it shares its title with an Elvis Presley #1 hit from 1956, Brown’s “Don’t Be Cruel” is not a remake.

That brings us to today’s playlist, which I call The Song Retains the Name. It consists of different songs with the same title. I initially planned to include twenty such songs, but more kept springing to mind. Before I knew it, I passed 100 entries. There are plenty more, so I decided to open this up to my reader(s). If you have songs that share titles you’d like to add, feel free to do so.

(NOTES: I included The Jacksons’ “This Place Hotel” because when it was released in 1980 its title was “Heartbreak Hotel.” Thought he didn’t have to, Michael Jackson, the song’s writer, later changed its name to “This Place Hotel” to avoid confusion with the Elvis Presley song “Heartbreak Hotel.” Whitney Houston didn’t feel the need to make the same Hotel accommodation.

Also, though it is listed on Spotify as “The Best of My Love,” the Eagles track does not have a “The” on the 45 or the band’s On the Border album.)

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