Grand Funk Railroad: Heartbreaker

Today’s Bubbling Under Hit is testimony that Mark Farner was a very talented vocalist in addition to his guitar work. Grand Funk Railroad never achieved the critical recognition that they deserved. For some reason, they were relegated to a second tier status despite their numerous chart successes and gold and platinum albums.

Their first album, “On Time,” did not reach the pinnacle of its success until the release of the second LP, “Grand Funk” (AKA the "red album") was released. “Heartbreaker,” the fourth single by the band, was released following “Mr. Limousine Driver” and “Inside Looking Out” – both of which came from the second album.

“Heartbreaker,” released in February 1970, peaked at #72 in the US, but did better in Canada with a chart position of #58.

Foreigner: Night Life

Released in February 1982 as the third single from Foreigner’s album “4,” “Juke Box Hero” had been playing on album radio since July 1981. It had peaked on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Chart at #3; however, the single release only charted at #26 on the Hot 100 despite its immense popularity. This was probably due to the lack of coordination between album and Top 40 airplay.

Its “B” side, “Night Life” is our Friday Flipside feature. By the time of “Juke Box Hero’s” single release, album radio was already playing “Night Life” in rotation and the song charted at #14. Foreigner is a high energy band that was a must see in concert and I had an opportunity to see them twice – during fall 1981 and spring 1985.

Every hour for two solid weeks prior to the 1985  show, we gave away Foreigner prizes every hour that consisted of T-shirts, posters, albums, concert tickets (probably close to 100 total), a bus trip to the Charleston, WV show aboard our concert bus for 30 winners, and other Foreigner and Giuffria memorabilia - a total of 336 prizes and winners.  Thanks are extended to Atlantic Records, MCA Records, Bill Scull and Tri-State Promotions, both band's management, the concert promoters, and other sundry vendors.

This promotion was done over WOAY-FM – then known as Y-94. The grand prize in our Y-Ninety Foreigner promotion was drawing of all of our winners and was an all expense paid trip for two to Rochester, NY for Lou Gramm’s birthday concert in his home town. It was probably the most extensive promotion that I did during my entire radio career and it was perfectly timed during our spring rating sweeps as well.

The concert, as you may expect was great, we didn’t get to see the band backstage; however, guitarist Mick Jones came aboard our bus following the show and we had a chance to meet at least one member of the band. Somewhere I have his picture as he embarked on our concert cruiser.  It was one of the most memorable times I’ve had.

The Moody Blues: Nights In White Satin

For Thursday’s Repeats and Threepeats, we treat you to a song that was released thrice in the United States. The Moody Blues “Nights in White Satin” clocks in at 7:38 on the “Days of Future Passed” with the addendum of “The Late Lament”; however, the single was released in two different lengths. Both edits fade before orchestration that leads to the “Late Lament” recitation.

The first American release of the single was issued with a length of 4:26 and only charted at #103 in the US and did much better in the UK by peaking at #19. While all three issues of the single carried the same catalog number of 85023. The three pressings can be distinguished by the catalog number prefixes. The January 1968 pressing has 45-DEM-85023, the 1972 is referenced as 45-85023, and the 1974 version has BN-85023. 

The 1968 version is also distinguished by the songwriting credits of Redwave as opposed to Justin Hayward. The early pressings of the album also listed Redwave and Redwave/Knight as authors on the tunes. Knight was Peter Knight who provided the orchestral arrangements and conducted the London Festival Orchestra. Redwave was a pseudonym for all or any of the band members. The practice was not continued with subsequent albums and later pressings of “Days of Future Passed” properly listed the authors by their actual names.

In 1972, the single was rereleased by Deram, a subsidiary label of London Records in the US and Decca Records Ltd. in the UK. It appears that the 1972 release was issued in two time formats – a botched edit of 3:06 and the original edit of 4:26. There is no rhyme or reason two issues other than they came from different pressing plants. This second issue was the successful version as it peaked at #2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and #1 at Cashbox. The British version peaked at #9.

For some reason, Deram released “Nights in White Satin” in 1974 – this time with the same time configurations – some at 3:06 and some at 4:26. We’ll feature the album version which includes “Late Lament” written by Graeme Edge and recited by Mike Pinder. Pinder, by the way, plays the gong at the end of the song.

Gordon Lightfoot: Beautiful

For the first post of 2013, I am fulfilling a request by my college buddy Greg Rector. He specifically asked for this song for our Wooden Music Wednesday feature as it is an acoustic number. He picked Gordon Lightfoot’s “Beautiful” in honor of his lovely wife Marsha as she remains as beautiful to him as she was the first time he saw her. I am more than happy to oblige.

From Lightfoot’s third album for Reprise, “Don Quixote,“ “Beautiful” was released as a single. It did quite well in his native Canada as a #1 single on the adult contemporary charts and peaked at #13 on the pop charts. Here in the US, it didn’t break the top 40 on the Hot 100 – only charting at #58 and didn’t fare too well on the AC charts by only making it to the 30 position.

“Don Quixote” was not one of his highest charting albums either in the US charting at #42 – while it was a #1 album in Canada. In the early seventies, radio was on its way to becoming homogenized – so depending on where you lived, you may or may not hear a particular song on the radio. That was case for me and this song.


I came to know it in 1981 as it was one of the favorite songs of my friend, coworker, and boss Ron Hill. I had never heard it before he played it for me. I was honored that in 1982, when Ron and his wife Jacqui were going to be married, they asked me to sing this song at their wedding. So with my red España acoustic guitar, I sang this at their wedding.


Although I played guitar at another wedding in 1978 in Logan, WV, with my brother and sister-in-law doing “Time in a Bottle,” this was the first wedding that I was the singer. I’ve since done about five or six other weddings including my own. Thanks Greg for bringing back the memories with this classic Lightfoot tune – that is not just in title alone, “Beautiful.”

Island Records: Rock & Roll Stew

The second single to be released in America on Island Records was Traffic’s “Rock & Roll Stew . . . Part 1.” The album “The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys” featured a greatly expanded version of Traffic that came about on their “Welcome the Canteen” tour and album. The new line-up saw Jim Capaldi move out from behind the drum kit to a more visible role as a percussionist and vocalist.

Veteran drummer Jim Gordon took over the job as the primary rhythm master with Rebop Kwaku Baah also joining Capaldi as percussionist. While Steve Winwood and Jim Capaldi were the primary songwriters of the band, “Rock & Roll Stew” was written by Gordon and bassist Ric Grech. Capaldi sang lead on this tune as well as on “Light Up or Leave Me Alone.”

As a single, “Rock & Roll Stew . . . Part 1” only charted at 93 in 1971. The LP, however, did quite well by placing seventh on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart.

Island Records: Pilot of the Airwaves

In 1978, Chris Blackwell of Island Records signed Charlie Dore, a multi-genre talented artist from Great Britain, to his label. “Where To Now” was her only album on Island and was recorded in Nashville. It was originally produced by Audie Ashworth. Not to Blackwell’s liking, the album was remixed by veteran producer Joe Boyd; however, his mix also sounded too country and it was shelved.

Blackwell employed a couple ex-members of The Shadows, Alan Tarney and Bruce Welch, to rerecord a number of the cuts including her only US hit – “Pilot of the Airwaves.” Released in late 1979, the tune charted in the US in 1980 at #13. Dore’s career looked promising as one of the big four US music trade magazines, Record World, named her “New Female Artist of the Year.” On the strength of “Pilot of the Airwaves,” Billboard tabulated Dore at #86 in the Top 100 Single Artists of 1980.

Although Dore released several other albums, she became better known as a song writer for other artists. Sheena Easton’s recording of her and Julian Littman’s composition “Strut” charted at #4 in the US. For her competence as a songwriter, she received two ASCAP awards that recognized this talent.

After being out of print for two decades, “Where to Now” was finally released on CD in 2005 on Lemon Records. The album was completely remastered for its CD debut.

Island Records: Video Killed The Radio Star

It wasn’t the first recording of the song, but The Buggles’ release of “Video Killed the Radio Star” did better than Bruce Woolley and the Camera Club’s version that was issued several months earlier. The song was co-written by Woolley and the two members of The Buggles: Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes. This Island Record release was also issued twice – originally in 1979 where it charted at #40 and later in 1983 when it failed to chart.

The second release of the song was issued by Island Records to capitalize on the popularity of the song’s video on MTV. It is reported that The Buggles version was the first video to be played on the popular music television network when it debuted in 1981.

To get the telephonic sound on the lead vocals, Horn’s voice was passed through a Vox guitar amp, compressed, and equalized. Partially due to the success of “Video Killed the Radio Star,” both members of the band were asked to join Yes to replace Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman who exited the band in 1980. They recorded one album with Yes, "Drama," which did not have the success of Yes’ previous recordings.

When Yes broke up after the release of "Drama," Downes formed Asia with Yes guitarist Steve Howe, bassist John Wetton and Carl Palmer. Downes later rejoined Yes in 2011. While not a performing member of Yes when it reformed in 1983, Horn remained as a studio sideman and producer through 1987. He resumed this role in Yes from 2010 to 2011.

The name The Buggles was a play on The Beatles with the initial reference of “bugs” referring to the term given to electrical issues that occur occasionally during recording.