'Fessa John Hook's Beach Music Top 40 for 1961

If you're into the 1960s music, here is a show you don't want to miss.  It streams at beachshag,com.

TEN SONGS MAYBE YOU HAVEN'T EVER HEARD

I WANNA KNOW--  The Ape Man with the Gay Pipers
NOT GONNA CRY--  5 Royales
SWEET SUE--  Big Joe Turner

FLAMINGO--  Little Willie John
IT FEELS SO GOOD--   Little Milton
SUMMER KISSES, WINTER TEARS--  Elvis Presley
NORTH TO ST. LOUIS--  Ronnie Love

RAISING SUGAR CANE--  Untouchables
PLEASE LOUISE--  Roy Hamilton
LAY IT ON THE LINE--  Billy Ward & the Dominos

SONGS YOU PROBABLY HAVE HEARD

BOLL WEEVIL SONG--Brook Benton
RUNAROUND SUE--  Dion
CUPID--  Sam Cooke

MAMA SAID--  Shirelles
RAINDROPS--  Dee Clark
FIND ANOTHER GIRL--  Jerry Butler
SAVE THE LAST DANCE FOR ME--  Drifters

SPANISH HARLEM--  Ben E. King
STAND BY ME--  Ben E. King
MOTHER-IN-LAW--  Ernie K. Doe

Sit Back, Relax, Enjoy.  Thanks 'Fessa.

Labor Day Weekend-- Part 3: Research, Boating, Pizza, Beer and NTN

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 4

Sat out FP (Front Porch) for breakfast and coffee as well as reading yesterday's Chicago Tribune.  Must catch up on my newspapers.  On the internet and doing some research on Major League Baseball players in World War II playing for the Great Lakes Training Base baseball players, coached by Hall of Famer Mickey Cochrane.

One of the players was Chet Hajduk who had a "Cup Of Coffee" with the Chicago White Sox in April 1941, who appeared in a major league game exactly one time before being sent to the minors for the rest of the season.  He joined the Navy after the season and played for Great Lakes.

Last week, I wrote about the Navy Day in Dubuque, Iowa, August 23, 1942, where 32 Dubuquers were sworn into the Navy and there was a baseball game between the Great Lakes Naval Training Center and the Navy Pre-Flight School at Iowa City in my Tattooed On Your Soul World War II blog.

While I was researching and doing blog entries, I listened to 'Fessa Hook's Beach Music Top 40 for 1961.  He played some mighty good stuff and should have it for another week.  You can listen to it at beachshag.com.  I'll write the names of some of the songs in the next post.

I went out boating on Fox Lake for awhile and then we met Kevin and Kelly at J's in Ingleside for half price pizza, $1.50 pints and played NTN.  Afterwards, we went to Sunnyside Tavern in Johnsburg.

A Good Day.  --RoadDog

If You Want to Hear Some Really Good Music, 1967

'Fessa John Hook, the end-all and be-all of Beach Music (and, I'm not talking about Beach Boys or Jan and Dean, but the southeast music played along the coast) has a site worth visiting at beachshag,com.  Go to it and scroll down to Click here to listen.

Once there, you have three great choices to hear a four hour show:  Beach Music Top 40 (Beach Music today), Beach Music Class reunion (Top 40 for a specific year) and Roadhouse Blues, Boogie & Fish Fry (like the title says).

Right now he is playing Beach music for one of my favorite years, 1967.  Some of the songs I know, others I don't.

Some of his songs in the Top 40 from 1967:

TURN TO STONE--  Four Tops
BELL BOTTOM BLUE JEANS--  Sonny Warner
SHE'S THE ONE I LOVE--  Delacardos
CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU--  Frankie Valli
HEAVEN MUST HAVE SENT YOU--  Elgins

TOUGH DON'T BOTHER ME--  Billy Scott & the Georgia Prophets
RAMSHACKLE SHACK--  Tams
SECRET LOVE--  Billy Stewart
BROWN EYED GIRL--  Van Morrison (and he plays part of the banned version)
I'M YOUR PUPPET--  James & Bobby Purify

The #1 song for the year was "39-21-40 Shape."  by the Showmen (General Johnson of the Chairman of the Board).

Give It a Listen (Or Any of the Three Choices):  --RoadDog

LAWS OF PARENTING:  The surest way to get something done is to tell a child not to do it.

Some Music to Check Out: B.B. King Show Tonight on WXRT

I am not surprised to find out this morning that Tom Marker has expanded his hour-long Bluesbreakers Show on Chicago's WXRT, 93.1 FM to two hours to honor bluesman supreme B.B. King who died last week.  It starts at 8 p.m. CDST and goes to 10.  It streams at www.wxrt.com.

Plus, right now, Fessa John Hook is running the Beach Music Top 40 for the year 1958, worth a listen at www.beachshag.com.

Bob Stroud's Ten at Ten for today was ten songs from 1976.  Wednesday he goes to 1982 and then 1977 for Wednesday.  the show runs at 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. at www.wdrv.com CDST.

--RoadDog

Going Back to the 60s

Right now, I am listening to Fessa John Hook's Beach Music Class Reunion to 1965 at his www.beachshag.com site.  He is back to 1965 and a lot of fun to see what pop songs are included as well as many that bore the Beach Music label and didn't make the national charts.  Hear songs such as "In Paradise" by the Showmen, "I'll Take You" by the Drifters, "Candy to Me" by Eddie Holland and "The In Crowd" by Dobie Gray.

On Saturday, I enjoyed listening to Wendy Rice's Saturday Morning Flashback on Chicago's WXRT, 93.1 as she went back to 1968 for four hours from 8 to noon.

Of course, this week at 10 a.m. and 10 p.m., Bob Stroud plays Ten at Ten featuring a different year 1968-1989 on WDRV, 97.1 FM.  It streams as does Wendy Rice's show on Saturdays.

--RoadDog


SOME CRAZY SAYINGS:  What's the definition of a will?  (It's a dead giveaway.)

Get Your Listening Ears On

Some mighty good music over the air waves and on the internet right now.

Until sometime next week, Fessa John Hook is playing his Beach Music reunion Top 40 Survey to the year 1966 at his www.beachshag.com site.  Lots of songs you know from the pop charts and ones you might niot have heard because of their regional Beach Music status.  Listening to that right now.

Today and tomorrow, Bob Stroud goes back to 1973 and 1981 on his Ten at Ten show on Chicago's WDRV 97.1 FM.  Of course, at 10 a.m. and 10 p.m., CDST.  www,wdrv.com.

Then, Saturday, Wendy Rice will go back to 1967 on her Saturday Morning Flashback show on WXRT 93.1 FM in Chicago.  It goes from 8 a.m. to noon CDST.  www,wxrt.com.

Sunday it is Bob Stroud's Rock and Roll Roots from 7 to 10 a.m. and Terri Hemmert's Breakfast With the Beatles from 8-10 a.m. on WXRT.

Groovin' on the Tunes.  --RoadDog

Music to Listen to This Next Week

WXRT, 93.1 FM, will feature 1971 on Wendy Rice's Saturday Morning Flashback tomorrow from 8 to noon CST.

Bob Stroud will do his Rock and Roll Roots Show from 7-10 a.m. CST Sunday on WDRV 97.1 FM and Terri Hemmert with have her Breakfast With the Beatles from 8-10 a.m. on WXRT.

During next week, Bob Stroud has his Ten at Ten at both 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. on WDRV.  he plays ten songs from one year:
Mon. 1971
Tues. 1978
Wed. 1988
Thurs. 1975
Fri.  A Wild Ten

Plus, if you want to get a taste of that great Beach Music, Fessa John Hook will be doing his current Beach Music Countdown and Class reunion 2005 shows at his site www.beachshag.com.

Plus, Tom Marker has his Blues Breakers show 9 to 10 p.m. on WXRT Mondays.

All stations stream.

Give 'Em a Listen.  --RoadDog

NORM'S BEST QUOTES:  What's going down, Normie?  "My butt cheeks on that bar stool."

JSS: Christmas Lights-- Low Gas Prices-- Why So Few Sports-- Great Radio

JSS--  Just Some Stuff.

1.  CHRISTMAS LIGHTS--  I've been working on the outside lights whenever I get the chance because of really cold weather and have most of them up.  I have found a whole lot of the light strands where half of them don't work, way more than usual.  Perhaps it was the extreme cold from last winter which stopped me from taking them down for so long.

I also helped Liz put up the two inside trees, something I normally don't do.

2.  LOW GAS PRICES--  Gas prices in northeast Illinois are around $2.60 to $2.70.  Yesterday, gas in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, was $2.56.  But, the best news is in McHenry along Illinois Highway 31, where a Murphy USA station opened and has sparked a gas war.  Wow, gas war.  How long has it been since you've heard that?  Gas is "down" to $2.27!!

Enjoy it now, because come spring, Big Oil and their friends will have gas back up to $4+ and that will be really hard to take now that we're starting to get used to gas below $3.

3.  WHY SO FEW SPORTS--  Even though I don't mention it often, I am a real big sports fan.  I don't mention it, especially where success is concerned because that is the "Kiss of Death."  I mention it and my teams lose.

4.  GREAT RADIO--  Tune into WXRT, 93.1 FM tomorrow morning from 8 to noo, CST to listen to Saturday Morning Flashback which goes back 30 years to 1984.  It streams at www.wxrt.com.

Also over the internet, check out Fessa John Hook's Beach Class Reunion which this week is to 1955.  He will play the Top Forty Beach Songs from that year and give you lots of background.  Some of the songs he played: "No More Alcohol" by Jimmy Liggins, "Can't Do 60 No More" by the Dominos, "Fujiyama Mama" by Aniston Alla, "Hearts of Stone" by the Jewels and "Tweddly Twiddly Dee" by LaVern Baker.  This is Rock and Roll before it became Rock and Roll.  Streams at www.beachshag.com.

--RoadDog

Music for Your Ears

Right now, Fessa John Hook is playing the Beach Music Top 40 from 1951!!!  If you want to hear some classic rock befrer it became rock, give it a  listen at www.beachshag.com.  He'll have it on for a week.  Plus, you can get this week's Beach Music Top 40 and Saturday Night Fish Fry Blues Show.

Wendy Rice goes back to 1992 on her Saturday Morning Flashback on WXRT today from 8-noon CST at www.wxrt.com.  Sunday, Terri Hemmert has her Breakfast with the Beatles from 8-10 a.m..  Sunday night from 9-11 p.m., Little Steven has his Underground Garage show.  Monday night, Tom Marker has his Bluesbreakers Show from 9-10 p.m..

Sunday, Bob Stroud does his Rock and Roll Roots show featuring music from the 60s-70s from 7-10 a.m. at www,wdrv.com.  Next week's Ten at Tens (at 10 a.m. and rebroadcast 10 p.m. CST):

Mon.--  1986
Tues.--  1978
Wed.--  1971
Thurs.--  Album Sides Thursday all day on WDRV.  A whole side of a classic album played on vinyl.
Fri.--  1981

--RoadDog


SAY WHAT?  "My dance card is full."  Fox trot pairings were scheduled.

Beach Music 1967 Top 40 Songs

From Fessa John Hook.  He is back up and running his weekly Beach Music charts and also Beach Music Yearly Top 40s all the way back to the 50s and, for you blues fans, his great Saturday Night Fish Fry.  You can give all of them a listen at his www.beachshag.com site.

I especially like listening to songs from back then that I liked, but didn't know they were Beach Songs.

40.  I'LL TURN TO STONE--  Four Tops
39.  BELL BOTTOM BLUE JEANS--  Sonny Warner
38.  I DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU--  Jackie Wilson

37.  CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF YOU--  Frankie Valli
36.  MORE LOVE--  Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
35.  GROOVIN'--  Rascals
34.  HEAVEN MUST HAVE SENT YOU--  Elgins

33.   TOGETHER--  Intruders
32.  EVERYBODY NEEDS LOVE--  Gladys Knight & the Pips
31.  YOU'VE GOT TO PAY THE PRICE--  Al Kent

--RoadDog

Beach Music Top Twenty Songs from 1972-- Part 2

HM.  EBONY EYES--  Stylistics
10.  LET ME DOWN EASY--  Chairmen of the Board
HM.  WHERE IS THE LOVE--  Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway
9.  ASK ME WHAT YOU WANT--  Millie Jackson
8.  DROWNING IN THE SEA OF LOVE--  Joe Simon

HM.  DRINKIN' WINE SPO DEE O DEE--  International Boogie Blues Band
7.  ZING WENT THE STRINGS OF MY HEART--  Trammps
HM.  YOU FILL MY HEART WITH MUSIC--  Whisper
6.  MY MAN IS A SWEET MAN--  Millie Jackson
5.  I'M STILL IN LOVE WITH YOU--  Al Green

HM.  I CALL IT TROUBLE--  Barbara Acklin
4.  I CAN'T HELP MYSELF--  Donnie Elbert
HM.  SINCE I LOST MY BABY'S LOVE--  Major Lance
3.  I'LL BE AROUND--  Spinners
2.  LET'S STAY TOGETHER-- Al Green  (A big year for him.)

1.  TOO LATE TO TURN BACK NOW--  Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose

Beach Music 1972 Top Twenty Songs-- Part 1

From Fessa John Hook at www.beachshag.com.  At one time you could listen to these songs and his informative comments, but his site has undergone repairs and isn't operating right now, but I am looking forward to its return.  HM= Honorable Mention

A lot of these will be familiar to most pop music listeners.

20.  SAUVECITO--  Malo
19.  WAY BACK HOME--  Jr. Walker & the All Stars
HM.  I'LL TAKE YOU THERE--  Staple Singers
18.  IT TAKES THE BEST--  Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds
HM.  I THINK I REALLY LOVE YOU--  Three Prophets (Billy, Barbara, Janet)

17.  FAMILY AFFAIR--  Sly & the Family Stone
16.  DON'T EVER BE LONELY--  Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose
HM.  VERY STRONG ON YOU--  Cortez Grier
15.  IN AND OUT OF MY LIFE--  Martha & the Vandellas
HM.  WALK WITH ME, TALK WITH ME--  Four Tops

14.  LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO ME--  Al Green
HM.  (WIN, PLACE, OR SHOW) SHE'S A WINNER--  Intruders
13.  ARCHIE'S IN LOVE--  Archie Bell & the Drells
12.  BRANDY (YOU'RE A FINE GIRL)--  Looking Glass  (One of my all-time favorites.)
11.  WHERE DID OUR LOVE GO--  Donnie Elbert

Beachin' and Dancin'.  --RoadDog


THE LAST NOT YOUR USUAL FLIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS:  Another flight attendant's comment on a less than perfect landing:  "We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the terminal."  Now, that's really funny.

It's a Music Thing: Oldies

Just getting ready to go over to the Richmond, Illinois, Business Expo and am listening to Fessa John Hook's Beach Musioc Top 40 for 1968. //// He is playing songs like: EVERLASTING LOVE-- Robert Knight // THE HUCKLEBUCK-- Otis Redding // CHAIN OF FOOLS-- Aretha Franklin // KEEP THE BALL ROLLING-- Jay & the Techniques // LET LOVE COME BETWEEN US-- James and Bobby Purify // IT'S BETTER TO CRY-- Appreciations // I DIG YOUR ACT-- O'Jays and the #1 song: BE YOUNG, BE FOOLISH, BE HAPPY-- Tams. It streams at beach-shag.com. //// Also, tomorrow, from 7-10 AM CDST(Daylight Savings Time, remember) Bob Stroud has his Rock and Roll Roots show featuring 60s-70s music. //// Stroud's Ten at Ten next week, also on WDRV: Monday-- 1983, Tuesday-- 1976, Wednesday-- 1968, Thursday-- 1978 and Friday-- A Talkative Ten. It streams. //// Going Back, Going Way Back, Mr. Peabody. --RoadDog

Still Time to Listen to Some Mighty Interesting Songs from 1957

Fessa John Hook still has the Beach Music Class reunion for 1956 on at his www.beachshag.com site. I'm listening to Hour Three right now, with #s 20-11. Just to whet your interest: #20. CAT SCRATCHIN'-- Louis Jordan & Tympani Five // #19. THIRTY SECOND LOVER-- Five Royales // H.M. A PICTURE OF YOU-- Solomon Burke // #17. THAT'S WHAT I GOTTA DO-- Buddy and Ella Johnson // #16. SLOW WALK-- Bill Doggett //// #15. WHY DON'S CHA STOP IT-- Ella Johnson with Buddy // H.M. ABOUT THAT GAL NAMED LOU-- Cadillacs // #14. SEPTEMBER SONG-- Earl Bostic //// H.M. WHEN YOUR HAIR HAS TURNED TO SILVER-- Joe Jones // H.M. I GET WEAK-- Drivers // #13. OVER AND OVER AGAIN-- Moonglows // #12. FARTHER UP THE ROAD-- Bobby "Blue" Bland //// H.M. LET'S YOU AND I GO STEADY, YOUR CHEATIN' HEART, ZIPPITY ZIPPITY ZOOM-- Pearls /// #11. IT HURTS TO BE IN LOVE-- Annie Laurie & the Howard Biggs Orchestra. //// Some Mighty Good Stuff, Much That I Had Never Heard. --RoadDog

Now For Some Real Oldies for You of Like Taste: 1957

Fessa John Hook is running the Top 40 Beach Music songs for the year 1957 on his site, www.beachshag.com. He plays all the songs listed like #40 JUICE, JUICE, JUICE-- Amos Milburn // #39. TRA LA LA-- Lavern Baker // H.M. (Honorable Mention) LITTLE WHITE LIES-- Frankie Lymon // MISS ANN-- Little Richard // BOOM BOOM OUT GO THE LIGHTS-- Little Walter //and #37. C.C. RIDER-- Chuck Willis. //// Other artists played: J.B. Lenoir, Jimmy Reed, Sam Cooke, Lillian Offitt, Jimmy Dorsey, Redd Foxx, Clyde McPhatter, Billy Ward & the Dominoes, Bill Doggett and many others. //// He'll be changing it sometime next week so don't wait too long. For Those of You Who Like to Go Deeper Into Your Music, This Countdown Is For YOU!!! --RoadDog

Attention Music Fans! Countdown for 1951

'Fessa John Hook has the Beach Music Countdown for the Year 1951 on his www.beachshag.com site right now and for a couple more days.

I was born midway through that year, so probably wasn't listening to much of it, but I'm getting it now.

He is playing the Top 40 songs along with a whole lot of honorable mentions so it is a real trip back with such artists as Ivory Joe Hunter, Robins, Roy Brown, Stick McGee, Jesse Belvin, Clovers, Howlin' Wolf, Wynonie Harris, Buddy and Ella Johnson and Joe Liggins.

The TOP FIVE by themselves are a roadmap to the soon-to-be outgrowth of Jump Blues called rock and roll with:

#5 JUST ONE MORE DRINK-- Amos Milburn

#4. LITTLE RED ROOSTER-- Griffin Brothers and Margie Day

#3. BAD BAD WHISKEY-- Amos Milburn

#2  ROCKET 88-- Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats

#1. SIXTY MINUTE MAN-- Billy Ward & His Dominoes.

If You Want to See Where Rock and Roll Came From, This "Be" the Place. --RoadDog

Beach Music Top Ten: 1965-- Part 2

Fessa John Hook plays a different Top 40 year in Beach Music every week on his website (along with this week's Beach Music Top 40 and a Blues Roadhouse show. Well worth giving a listen at www.beachshag.com. Continuing from previous post:

#7. *I DO LOVE YOU-- Billy Stewart
H.M. *KEEP LOVIN'-- Billy Stewart
#6. *WALKING UP A ONE WAY STREET-- Willie Tee

H.M. *EVERYTHING'S WRONG-- Chubby Checker
#5 *SITTING IN THE PARK-- Billy Stewart
#4. *THE ENTERTAINER/THIS HEART OF MINE (Perhaps a cover of the Isley Brothers song on the second one?-- Tony Clarke
#3. *AIN'T NO BIG THING-- Radiants

H.M. * EVERYBODY LOVES A GOOD TIME-- Major Lance
H.M. * YOU BETTER SAY YES-- Willie Tee
#2. *THANK YOU JOHN-- Willie Tee

H.M. * I WANT TO BE YOUR GUY-- Swingin' Medallions

#1. MY GIRL-- Temptations

Sure a Lot of Great Music This Year. --RoadDog

Beach Music Top Ten: 1965-- Part 1

From Fessa John Hook's www.beachshag.com site. And he has a great book with all the Beach Charts and every Beach song ever played. Check it out and/or listen to his shows at the site.

This was prime music-listening time for me after the Beatles had awakened me to pop music. I had noticed, however, that some of the songs I would hear while visiting family in North Carolina were considerably different from what was playing on Chicago's WLS and WCFL.

This list has some of those. (* Means a song not heard on Chicago radio):

H.M.--Honorable Mention *USE YOUR HEAD-- Mary Wells,
#10. *SILLY LITTLE GIRL-- Tams,
H.M.-- *OO-WEE BABY I LOVE YOU-- Fred Hughes

#9. MAY I-- Maurice Williams & Zodiacs (We finally got this song in 1969 with Bill Deal & the Rhondells)
H.M. *UP ON THE ROOF (JUST FOR THE BIRDS)-- Embers (We had an "Up on the Roof" by the Drifters and later by the Cryan' Shames, but I'm not sure this is the same one.)

#8. I CAN'T HELP MYSELF-- Four Tops
H.M. PAPA'S GOT A BRAND NEW BAG-- James Brown

All That New Carolina Music. --RoadDog

It's a Music Weekend Around Here and in North Myrtle Beach

Bob Stroud will feature 1972 today, Horny Songs (this could be interesting) on Monday, 1985 on Tuesday and 1974 on Wednesday on his Ten at Ten show at 10 AM amd 10 PM on WDRV, 97.1 in Chicago.

Tomorrow morning, WXRT's Wendy Rice spotlights 1984 on her Saturday Morning Flashback from 8 to noon. Both stations stream if you're out of the Chicago area. (Both stations on CST)

And, let's not forget Bob Stroud's Rock and Roll Roots show Sunday morning 7 to 10 AM and Little Steven's Underground Garage Sunday night on WXRT from 9 to 11 PM.

And, down in North Myrtle Beach, SC, it is the Fall Migration of SOS for you Beach Music fans. SOS stands for Shagging on the Strand. Shagging is the state dance of South Carolina and the way Beach Music fans dance. The Strand is short for Grand Strand, that long stretch of beach along the coast in that area.

Hundreds of Beach Music fans swarm to North Myrtle Beach during this time when all the music venues feature Beach bands and deejays. One of these days I'll have to go there.

Both major Beach Music surveys, The Surf 94.9 FM and Fessa John Hook have "Hey Eugene" by Sea Cruz at #1. The Surf has #2 "The Driver" by King Tyrone & the Graveyard Ramblers and John Hook's #2 is "He's My Baby" by Heather Haywood.

Great Music. --RoadDog

Beach Music 1960-- Part 2

H.M. DOLLAR BILL / IT DON'T MAKER SENSE-- Fiesta
35. SYMPHONY-- Sammy Turner
34. THERE YOU GO-- Clyde McPhatter & the Drifters

H.M. WHEN WILL I BE LOVED / CATHY'S CLOWN-- Everly Brothers
33.  JUST A LITTLE BIT-- Roscoe Gordon
32.  LOOK AT LITTLE SISTER-- Hank Ballard & the Midnighters

H.M. WHY YOU TREAT ME SO COLD-- Gene Allison
H.M. ROADRUNNER-- Bo Diddley
31. MIAMI-- Eugene Church

Give it a listen. You can also hear the current Beach Top 40 and the Roadhouse Blues, Boogie & Fish Fry.

Enjoying It As I Type. --RoadDog