NELSON RIDDLE ORCHESTRA . . . . . Route 66 Theme (opening theme) . . . . . Route 66 and Other Great TV Themes/More Hit TV Themes
THE ROLLING STONES . . . . . Rocks Off . . . . . Exile on Main St.
THE MINDERS . . . . . Right As Rain . . . . . Golden Street
IAN HUNTER . . . . . Up And Running . . . . . Man Overboard
THE CAESARS . . . . . Waking Up . . . . . Strawberry Weed
YO LA TENGO . . . . . Nothing To Hide . . . . . Popular Songs
IT HUGS BACK . . . . . Don’t Know . . . . . Inside Your Guitar
STEREOLAB . . . . . Wow And Flutter . . . . . Mars Audiac Quintet
THE POSTMARKS . . . . . My Lucky Charm . . . . . Memoirs at the End of the World (Dig)

BOB DYLAN . . . . . 4th Time Around . . . . . Blonde on Blonde
NEKO CASE . . . . . Star Witness . . . . . Fox Confessor Brings the Flood (Bonus Disc Version)
JULIAN PLENTI . . . . . On The Esplanade . . . . . Julian Plenti Is Skyscraper
NICK DRAKE . . . . . ’Cello Song . . . . . Five Leaves Left
ROSE . . . . . Yes We Did . . . . . Les Souvenirs Sous Ma Frange
THE BEATLES . . . . . I’ve Just Seen A Face . . . . . Help! (Remastered)
LITTLE JOY . . . . . The Next Time Around . . . . . Little Joy
NICK LOWE . . . . . Not Too Long Ago . . . . . At My Age
CAMERA OBSCURA . . . . . Honey In The Sun . . . . . My Maudlin Career

JOE HENRY . . . . . Stars . . . . . Blood from Stars
THE BLACK KEYS . . . . . Things Ain’t Like They Used To Be . . . . . Attack and Release
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN . . . . . Wages Of Sin . . . . . Tracks (4CD)
GLASVEGAS . . . . . It’s My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry . . . . . Glasvegas
THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN . . . . . Just Like Honey . . . . . Psychocandy
THE RAVEONETTES . . . . . Last Dance . . . . . In & Out of Control

THE DIXIE CUPS . . . . . Chapel Of Love . . . . . The Best of the Girl Groups, Vol. 1
LESLEY GORE . . . . . Maybe I Know . . . . . The Best of Lesley Gore: 20th Century Masters-(Millennium Collection)
THE CRYSTALS . . . . . Then He Kissed Me . . . . . The Best of the Crystals
THE RONETTES . . . . . Be My Baby . . . . . The Ronettes: Ultimate Collection; Greatest Hits
ANDY KIM . . . . . Baby I Love You . . . . . Baby, I Love You/Andy Kim
TOMMY JAMES AND THE SHONDELLS . . . . . Hanky Panky . . . . . Anthology
MANFRED MANN . . . . . Do Wah Diddy Diddy . . . . . The British Invasion: History of British Rock, Vol. 2
THE BEACH BOYS . . . . . I Can Hear Music . . . . . Friends/20/20
DARLENE LOVE . . . . . Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) . . . . . A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector
IKE & TINA TURNER . . . . . River Deep, Mountain High . . . . . Proud Mary: The Best of Ike & Tina Turner
THE SHANGRI-LAS . . . . . Leader Of The Pack . . . . . The Best of the Girl Groups, Vol. 1
ELLIE GREENWICH . . . . . You Don’t Know . . . . . The Best of the Girl Groups, Vol. 2

Back from a week down the Jersey Shore and ready for a bit of rock & roll, starting with some prime Rolling Stones into the first tune I ever heard from the Minders (and it's still one of my favorites, too). A new one from Ian Hunter kept the emphasis on the guitars, and then we heard one from last year's very enjoyable Caesars disc that did the same. Yo La Tengo was next with a straight-ahead rocker from their terrific new album that flowed very nicely into one from last spring's debut by It Hugs Back, who clearly enjoy the energetically steady grooves of Stereolab as well. Coming from a similar place was the Postmarks, with one from another new album that I can't seem to hear enough.

Bob Dylan began this section with another breakup song, this one in waltz time, which segued nicely into a Neko Case tune that started in a similar place but then quickly moved on. The more permanent loss hinted at in that one was echoed in the Julian Plenti track that followed, which led to Nick Drake's gorgeous song about a life that ended way too soon (sort of like his did). At this point a change of mood was called for, so we heard a new one with an upbeat acoustic feel from Rose that's entirely in French (other than the refrain that gives the tune its title), so I have no idea what it's about. It conjured up the Beatles, which was followed by a Little Joy tune that starts off in that acoustic mode but then works its way into something of a Caribbean rhythm. Nick Lowe's remake of an old Uniques track added some ska-like horns, and then it was Camera Obscura with the appealing soul rave-up that ends their last disc.

This section began in a bluesy place, with Joe Henry from his wonderful new disc feeling dislocated in time and trying to hold it all together leading to the Black Keys reeling from a relationship's sudden end. Then we heard Bruce Springsteen battling demons both present and past, which brought on Glasvegas literally crying in their beer over the mistakes they've made. The Wall of Sound influence on that one can also be heard in the Jesus and Mary Chain tune that followed, and from there it was an easy step to a new track from the Raveonettes that seems to be a sad farewell to a lover who has OD'd one time too many.

While I was away I read of Ellie Greenwich's passing; she contracted pneumonia, went into the hospital and died of a heart attack at 68. Although she was successful for many decades, mainly as a songwriter but also as a performer as well, her sweet spot was the period from about 1962 to 1967. Working mostly with songwriting partner Jeff Barry (who was also her husband for much of that time) Greenwich composed many of the tunes that became the soundtrack for pop/teen culture in those years, and sang backup vocals on a bunch of them as well. So we heard a selection of those songs in this final section of the program, beginning with one by the Dixie Cups that made it to the top of the charts in the late spring of 1964. From there we heard a Lesley Gore track from that same year; a couple of classics from the Crystals and the Ronettes; Andy Kim's 1969 hit version of another one originally done by the Ronettes; an early one from Tommy James and the Shondells; Manfred Mann surfing the initial wave of the British Invasion; the Beach Boys with one more first done by the Ronettes; Darlene Love with a Christmas tune that's now become a standard; Ike & Tina Turner with what proved to be the last gasp of the Wall of Sound as a creative force; and the Shangri-las with their cinematic mid-'60s teen anthem. The last track was a single released in 1965 that featured Ellie Greenwich on lead vocals and was released under her own name, which makes it a relative rarity.

Here's another one from Camera Obscura