June 29th

 We have the number one hits on this date, June 29th, 1963, 73 and 83.

Each week we feature a year, last week it was 62, 72 and 82 on that date. 1962 today was “Sukiyaki” by Kyu Sakamoto. 73 was George Harrison with “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)” and 83 was “Flashdance… What a Feeling” by Irene Cara.

This week’s “La La Song” is a na na song.

Check out Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al” from 1986. Funny, someone needs to rewrite a version. When you see the word Al on the radio dial, it looks like A-I “I can call you lies And lies , when you call me, you can call me Al…” Na na na na

We have some musician birthdays on June 29th to celebrate.

Little Eva was born in 1943 on the date. She released “The Loco-Motion” in 1962. She passed in 2003. We’ve used the song in our “Original and Cover” feature, also playing Kylie Minogue’s version from 1988. Also celebrating this Monday is frontman from Men at Work, Colin Hay. Ron says “Who Can It Be” was played in overkill. Hay wrote the song. So we will play the Men at Work song “Overkill” instead. Hay wrote that one as well. And songwriter Doc Pomus would have celebrated this past Saturday. He’s known for writing songs for Elvis, Ray Charles, The Drifters and just so many.

Doc Pomus and West 72nd Street

 Part two on wishing songwriter and blues singer Doc Pomus a happy birthday on June 27th.

Happy birthday from the 11th floor of 253 w 72nd! In the 1970s and 1980s, Pomus lived there. I later lived in that same building on the 11th floor. I think the magic was still there. He used to host his birthday parties there- names like Big Joe Turner and Otis Blackwell would be there. Bob Dylan as well. Pomus also hosted Dylan, among so others, at that apartment - for songwriting help. Pomus passed in 1991, the following year he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a non performer,Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992 and Blues Hall of Fame in 2012.

Let's Talk Footloose

 

June 1, 2026

 It is monday! The start of a new week and a new month. So much to look forward to.

And it is almost time to join Ron and me for Our Monday Magical Musical Matinee. 2-4 pm Eastern on WBTNam.org

We always start with two Doo-wop hits.

The first is one Beck even covered. 

“I Only Have Eyes For You“ was originally released in 1934. We are playing the version by the Flamingos. 

Singer Johnny Carter would have celebrated a birthday tomorrow, June 2nd.

Art Garfunkel also covered the song, as did Sinatra, the Platters, Billie Holiday, Harry Connick Jr. and the list goes on. 

——-

Today we are wishing Pat Boone a happy 92nd birthday! 

He still performs and even does a weekly radio show. 

“Love Letters In the Sand” was a major hit for Boone in 1957. It’s a cover - It was first recorded in 1931 .

Later Patsy Cline, Andy Williams, Billy Haley and His Comets all covered it, among others. 

——

I’ve already revealed we are featuring Rolling Stones “Black and Blue” in our album turning 50 segment. 

Happy 79th birthday today to guitarist Ronnie Wood. He replaced Mick Taylor and this was his first album with the Stones.

Also- Stone’s drummer  Charlie Watts would have celebrated a birthday tomorrow, June 2nd. 

For those two - we’ll play Cherry Oh Baby, a Jamaican cover. 

——

Since we are playing birthdays, happy birthday to Alanis Morissett on this June 1st. 

Her album Jagged Little Pill was a regular in my five disk changer in 1995 and beyond. 

——

We are also celebrating the birthday of three musicians who are no longer with us. 

All three with birthdays yesterday May 31st- and all with  releases in 1976, 50 years ago. 

Zeppelin fans- you know the bands seventh studio album, Presence, was released in 1976. 

Yesterday would have been drummer John Bonham’s birthday.

Vickie Sue Robinson had a hit in 1976 with Turn the Beat Around.

And country singer Johnny Paycheck released his fifteenth studio album, 11 Months and 29 Days.

—-

Also In honor of Ronnie Woods birthday June 1st, the song he cowrote and sang with Faces “Ooh La La” is the original in our Original and Cover feature. 

The 2012 Counting Crows version is our cover. 

And it serves another purpose- it kicks off a new weekly feature “La La” songs.

I have my list ready.