Snap, Crackle, POP! with Alec Cumming

As part WPKN's Black History Month celebration, I focus here on the type of music Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff and Thom Bell made - something I'm here calling "Black Orchestral Pop", and what some others would call "Champagne Soul" (although that can be a problematic phrase to the creators themselves). Ironically, this music is such a focus of love and a huge topic for me... it was ridiculous that I dedicated a 2-hour show to it - I only played one Thom Bell song, right at the end. I HAVE TO DO ANOTHER ONE. There Goes My Baby – The DriftersSmoke Gets In Your Eyes – The PlattersI Only Have Eyes For You – The FlamingosDon't Make Me Over – Dionne WarwickMake It Easy On Yourself – Jerry ButlerBaby I'm Yours – Barbara LewisAny Day Now (My Wild Beautiful Bird) – Chuck JacksonI Hear a Symphony – The SupremesReach Out (I'll Be There) –The Four TopsMy Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me) – David RuffinGive Me Just a Little More Time – Chairmen of the BoardStay with Me – Lorraine EllisonThe Last One to Be Loved – Lou JohnsonGoin' Out of My Head – Little Anthony & the ImperialsAin't Nothing Like the Real Thing – Marvin Gaye & Tammi TerrellSomeday We'll Be Together – Diana Ross & the SupremesCalifornia Soul – The 5th DimensionWhere Is the Love – Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway (Groovefunkel Extended Remix)A Song for You – Donny HathawayI'm Going Down – Rose RoyceJust My Imagination (Running Away with Me) – The TemptationsKeep On Truckin' (part 1) – Eddie KendricksRainy Night In Georgia – Brook BentonDidn't I Blow Your Mind This Time – The Delfonics

Today’s Snap Crackle POP! was a tribute to the epic production team of drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare. Sly passed away on January 26th 2026 at the age of 73.============================== Double Barrel – Dave & Ansell CollinsRight Time – The Mighty DiamondsTwo Sevens Clash – CultureGet Up Stand Up – Peter Tosh Sponji Reggae – Black UhuruGreetings – Half PintDon't Stop the Music – Bits & Pieces Pull Up to the Bumper – Grace JonesPadlock (Larry Levan Mix) – Gwen Guthrie Jokerman – Bob DylanSo Good, So Right – Joe CockerGirls Watching – Ian Dury Breakdown – Grace JonesJust Another Night – Mick Jagger Murder She Wrote – Chaka Demus & PliersHere Comes the Hotstepper – Ini Kamoze

In tribute to, and in acknowledgement of, the Battle of '26 in wintry Minneapolis. Enclosed photo is by Philip Cheung for The New Yorker.====================================Why Can't We Live Together – Timmy ThomasStreets of Minneapolis – Bruce SpringsteenHow Much Did You Get for Your Soul? – Lucinda WilliamsKnow Your Rights – The ClashCity of Heroes – Billy BraggJoin Ice – Jesse WellesIt Isn't Nice – Malvina ReynoldsWhat It Means – Drive-By TruckersBradley Manning – Cass McCombsCome Out You Cowrads ICE – Carsie BlantonI Hate the Capitalist System – Barbara DaneMan In Black – Johnny CashWe Shall Not Be Moved – Mavis StaplesBlack Boys on Mopeds – Sinead O'ConnerMinnesota Nazis – NOFXWho'll Stand With Us? – Dropkick Murphys(It Takes All Kinds To) Make a World – Gail Ann DorseyEverybody Hurts – Al GreenPower to the People – John LennonBring Down the Government – LindisfarneRockin' In The Free World – Neil YoungNew World Coming – Mama Cass 

I've been doing two "drivetime" 7 - 9 am airshifts lately on WPKN 89.5 FM Bridgeport lately  - my regular Monday morning one and, for a bit, the Tuesday morning slot too, covering for a world-wandering Steve Di Costanzo. I like doing these shows live, as I can announce times and give weather reports and even traffic news if I can find and organize it (which I'm not too good at yet). But I live in Mystic CT these days, and because of the massive Sunday snowstorm, I was asked to pre-record my Monday and Tuesday shows, and...While I like how the pre-recorded shows come out, I spend too much time on them, trying to make them "perfect", and prepping Monday's "blizzard" show was exhausting. So when I finished that one, I decided I would do a replay of a REVOLVER thing I did at the time the massive (and expensive) REVOLVER box set came out, in fall 2022, using - as its base - a syndicated radio special created by NYC FM radio hero Dan Neer. What you hear here is a greatly expanded 80-minute-ish version of that special, featuring many of the re-mixes and outtakes from the original 1966 sessions, plus interviews with the Beatles themselves and both George and Giles Martin (many from a cool crowdsourced internet-only audio series called "The Beatles Anthology Revisited") plus additional commentary from... Beatle nerd me. The remaining half-an-hour of the show is a melange of interesting basic tracks, overdubs and pieces from 1969's ABBEY ROAD sessions, plus a John Lennon run-through of "Julia" from 1968's WHITE ALBUM sessions, all intersperesed with soundbites and noises from John, Paul, George and producer George Martin. Not everyone will agree, but for me and (I know) for some of you - this stuff is endlessly fascinating. I listened to the whole shebang this morning on an Amazon Dot and I was shocked - not only at how good the remixes sounded through that little speaker, coming from its tiny compressed WPKN signal - but how much astonishing energy, creativity and brilliance is captured in all those tracks. In 1966, they were more united and ambitious than ever, and they were untouchable.(Oh - we started off with the new remix of "Free As a Bird", which I think is just fine.)===================Free As a Bird (2025 mix) Paperback Writer (excerpts from takes 1 & 2 + 2022 mix)Taxman (2022 mix)Eleanor Rigby (strings session + partial 2022 mix)I’m Only Sleeping (Take 2 + Mono mix RM1)Love You To (Take 7)Here, There and Everywhere (Take 6)She Said She Said (Mono mix)Rain (2022 mix) Good Day Sunshine (2022 mix) And Your Bird Can Sing (Second version/Take 5 + 2022 mix)For No One (Take 10 + 2022 mix)Doctor Robert (Take 7)I Want To Tell You (Take 4 + partial 2022 mix)Got To Get You Into My Life (second version + partial 2022 mix)Tomorrow Never Knows (2022 mix) The Ballad of John & Yoko (John speech + basic track)Julia (Paul speech + John rehearsal performances)Sun King/Mean Mr. Mustard/Her Majesty (medley in progress)Come Together (George Martin speech + Take 5) You Never Give Me Your Money (basic track)Something (George speech + Take 39 – strings only instrumental)Ain’t She Sweet (7/24/69 impromptu version)

This Morning’s Backstory: though I always want to do these “Snap Crackle POP!” drivetime programs live, so I can give out weather and traffic (lol) reports, I had to pre-record this one because of the blizzard-y weather, considering that I was snowed as of Sunday evening, the night before the show, way out here in Mystic.  Why my time announcements may be off here and there: uhhh... it's too esoteric to explain. Plus this is the podcast version, anyways. That said, I do TRY. Take it all with a grain of salt. And then throw that salt on the ground, will ya?Today’s theme: it’s friggin' COLD. 🥶Today's picture: my car in the driveway this morning.==========================Cold, Cold, Cold – Little FeatCold As Ice – Foreigner  Blizzard of '77 – Nada SurfCold Hands, Warm Heart – Brendan BensonSnowglobe – Sugar Fight Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out – Bruce Springsteen & the E Street BandColdest Winter Ever – Lewis BlackShe’s So Cold – The Rolling StonesIce Cold Daydream – Shuggie Otis  Slip Slidin’ Away – Paul SimonThe Blizzard – Camera ObscuraCold Cold Heart – Norah JonesOut In the Cold Again – Sam CookeSnow – Claudine Longet  Snowfall – EisleyLooks Like a Cold, Cold Winter – Ingrid MichaelsonSong for a Winter’s Night – Gordon LightfootHazy Shade of Winter – Simon & Garfunkel The Fox in The Snow – Belle & Sebastian Cold Light of Day – Lewsberg Howlin’ Wind – Graham Parker & The RumourIce Cold Ice – Hüsker DüWhen It Touches You, A Snowflake Dies – Norma TanegaSoon It Will Be Cold Enough – Emancipator It’s a Cold Night for Alligators – Roky EriksonThe Blizzard – Jim Reeves Amid the Falling Snow – EnyaThe Frozen Man – James Taylor  Walking On Thin Ice – Yoko OnoSometimes in Winter – Blood, Sweat & Tears Comin’ In From the Cold – Bob Marley & The Wailers 

I talked a lot about and played some Life In a Blender, a fantasticly creative band from NYC who are coming up to Milford this Friday, January 23rd, 2026. And I also played some music that I'd consider twee, although I don't think that's a bad word. (Google's "AI Overview" is telling me "'Twee' describes something overly cute, sweet, quaint, or sentimental, often in an affected or delicate way, originating from a baby's pronunciation of 'sweet,' and also refers to a subgenre of innocent, simple indie pop music and an aesthetic featuring childlike whimsy, though it can sometimes be used as a mild insult" (cf. SNL's "Bein' Quirky With Zooey Deschanel").I actually do not consider LIAB "twee". Well, possibly, at moments, but not really. Anyway, this show was a melange of intelligent pop music I like, and I hope you like it too. ===================Something's Gonna Happen – Ronnie SpectorSave It For Later – The English BeatTo Love Somebody – Al GreenHow Much I Really Love You – June & The Exit WoundsThe Old Law – Father John MistyBaby Please Come Home – BubbleOh Gilbert (I Need Help) – The JunipersSnowglobe – Sugar FightVacancy for a Bluebird – Life In a BlenderMobile Wash Unit – Life In a BlenderThe Church of Laundry – Kelley RyanI Want You to Give Me Enough Time – Sunflower BeanFountains of Bellagio – Life In a BlenderZoo – AltimeterMagic Touch – Courtney Marie AdamsHere I Am – Dionne WarwickKaze Wo Atsumete – Happy EndMultiply – Dora JarMy Bar – British BirdsKarate Dentist – Ward WhiteUntil You Come Back to Me – Stevie WonderSend It To Zoom! - the cast of ZoomMemo To My Son – Randy Newman

In a recent interview with the New York Times, President Donald J. Trump said he felt the Civil Rights Movement and its reforms were harmful to white people, who “were very badly treated.” Also, the administration made sure that Martin Luther King Jr. Day - still a national holiday (for now) - would not be a day where people could visit America's national parks for free. Trump did, however, make his own birthday as a day for National Parks free admissions. For Christ's sake.  I usually steer away from political commentary on the Snap Crackle POP! show, but I wanted to do my part (as infintesimly small as it may be) to celebrate this important American holiday. I am hearing there are more-than-usual MLK Jr. day celebtations happening today, which I'm grateful for. I remember his assasination day and I was so confused by it - why? Just... why? And why are some sh*tty. powerful, hate-filled people trying to erase this day in 2026? Happy Birthday, Martin. And thank you for your brilliance and bravery. Our lonely nation (still) turns its eyes to you.====================Happy Birthday – Stevie WonderHarvest For the World – The Isley BrothersLike a Ship (Without a Sail) – Pastor T.L. Barrett and the Youth for Christ ChoirMany Rivers to Cross – Jimmy CliffThe Harder They Come – Jimmy CliffA Change Is Gonna Come – Sam CookeThis Land Is Your Land – Sharon Jones & The Dap–kingsThis World (Is Going Up in Flames) – Charles Bradley & the Menahan Street BandTell Me Mr. President – Eugene McDanielsImpeach The President – The Honey DrippersMorning Matters – Yazmin LaceyWarning Sign – Hannah JagaduMemory Be a Blade – waterbabyHold Steady – Queen EstherI'm Going Down – Rose RoyceMississippi Goddam – Nina SimoneThe Revolution Will Not Be Televised – Gil Scott–HeronInner City Blues – Marvin GayeScripto Labor Strike speech (Atlanta GA, 1964) – Martin Luther King Jr.Give the People What They Want – PJ Morton, YolaWe Shall Overcome speech (Southern Methodist University, on March 17, 1966) – Martin Luther King Jr.We Shall Overcome – Mahalia Jackson

The title of this podcast is influenced by a Reds, Pinks and Purples song lyric. Lotsa good new/new-ish music here, much in the tradition of the show I'm filling in for - Steve Di Costanzo's RADIO BASE CAMP.Hard Livin' – Railroad EarthSave Your Soul – Kathleen EdwardsPick Up That Knife – WednesdayFrontrunner – Horsegirl Gimme Time – Hannah Jagadu All We Ever Do Is Talk– Del Water GapOh Dorian – Ben Kweller (feat. MJ Lenderman)Dancing in the Club – This Is Lorelei (MJ Lenderman Version) Summer Seizures – The CribsHot Wheels – The Wedding PresentBrassneck – The Wedding PresentTherapy II – Viagra Boys Heroes – David BowieWarning Sign – Talking Heads Miss Modular – Stereolab Wreck – Neko Case I Only Ever Wanted to See You Fail – The Reds, Pinks and Purples Cruise Ship Designer – Dry CleaningSo Long – Fischer–Z Popsicle – Juliana HatfieldForgotten Dreams – Leroy Anderson

On this morning's show, I did a tribute of sorts to the great Bob Weir, who passed away over the weekend. A great big thanks to Lane Steinberg for writing insightfully about what Bob could really make happen on guitar. But before that we started off with some sexy mornin' Dusty.Just a Little Lovin' – Dusty Springfield Some of Your Lovin' – Dusty Springfield Pussywillow, Cattails – Gordon LightfootLittle Bird – The Beach Boys Glad and Sorry – The facesMy Friend the Sun – Family  How To Live – Del Water GapLose – Hannah JadaguSmall Town Joan of Arc – Del Water GapNever Ending Game (Panda Bear Remix) – Angel Du$t Holo Boy – This is LoreleiPopafangout – Sharp Pins Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand – The Who  Truckin' – Grateful DeadPlaying in the Band (Live at Manhattan Center NYC 4/6/71) – Grateful Dead Jack Straw (Live in Paris 1972) – Grateful DeadCassidy (Live at Radio City Music Hall, 1980) – Grateful Dead  Don't Let It Bring You Down – Neil YoungHere She Comes Now – The Velvet Underground Sally, Go 'Round the Roses – The Jaynetts Damn – Del Water GapSugar Magnolia (demo) – Grateful Dead

In which I finally give up and acceptance the consensus worship of my friends re: Sharp Pins. Life Is – Jessica PrattGuess I'm Dumb – Glen CampbellMock The Hours – David NanceSay It On – J MascisCoke, Suede and Waterbeds – Sopwith Camel Not Enough – Benny Sings Cruise Ship Designer – Dry CleaningWreck – Neko CaseEdge of the Ocean – Ivy Keep On Movin' – Soul II Soul Hold Steady – Queen EstherVague Utopia – Tia GostelowI Knew Love – Sunflower Bean Under the Milky Way – The Church Astor Place – Edward RogersDominoes – Mary Timony Traffic and Weather – Fountains of Wayne  Popsicle – Juliana Hatfield Is It Better – Sharp PinsQueens of Globes and Mirrors – Sharp Pins Queens of Cans and Jars – Guided By Voices But You Just Woke Me Up – This Is Lorelei Elderberry Wine – Wednesday Baby, Now That I've Found You – Alison Krauss

For the first show of a precarious new year, I chose to focus on a theme of reletively obscure 1970's "deep cuts", apropos of... nothing. Some great songs, though. The first song isn't all that obscure, but the movie it served as the theme song for is deeply quaint; it's about a late '70s commercial rock radio station being forced (gasp) into using a format and playing from a songs list , and the outrage that then ensues - how dare they take away the deejay's rights to play whatever the hell they want? Like I said, quaint... in terms of commercial radio, of course... but not so much for our beloved WPKN.FM – Steely DanShe Might Have Been a Nice Girl – The Guess WhoGramophone Man – SpiritBluebird – Leon RussellShe Wandered Through the Garden Fence – Procol HarumHeart To Hang Onto – Ronnie Lane & Pete TownsendLily (Are You Happy) – Darryl Hall & John OatesLook What You've Done – BreadStrawberry Flats – Little FeatO Lucky Man! – Alan PriceGrey Seal – Elton JohnFriends – Elton JohnRunning Back – Phil LynottSuite: Clouds, Rain – David GatesThatcherie (from "Inner Space") – Sven LibaekStrawberry Letter 23 – Shuggie OtisReal Thing – Drugdealer (feat. Weyes Blood)Keep It Warm – Flo & EddieCritics Choice – ChicagoLet's Pretend – The Lemon TwigsOvernight Sensation – The RaspberriesFriends – Buzzy Linhart

This was a fill-in episode for Steve Di Costanzo's classin WPKN morning show, RADIO BASE CAMP. I should be doing a lot of these Tuesday shows as well as the Monday shows, and that's good because I can get better at this. Because it's the Eve of New Year's Eve, I went with that as the theme; hour 1 is more of a downer than hour 2. Millennium – Robbie Williams  Auld Lang Syne – Guy Lombardo Enjoy Yourself (It's Later than You Think) – Guy LombardoIn These Shoes? – Kirsty MacCollHappy New Year Next Year – Violent Femmes Getting Ugly Out There – Wille NileA Town Called Malice – The Jam New Year – SVTTogether We'll Ring In the New Year – Motion City Soundtrack  The New Year (demo) – Death Cab For CutieMy New Year's Resolutions – Mae West Resolution Blues – Dinah WashingtonBrand New Year – Eric Carmen Better Things – The Kinks Life Gets Better – Graham Parker Shooting Star – Sunflower Bean Happy New Year – Camera Obscura Walk Out to Winter – Aztec Camera  Romeo – Edward Rogers This Will Be My Year – Semisonic A Little Bit of Light Banter – SparksGlad Tidings – Van Morrison Higher Ground – Stevie Wonder This Will Be Our Year – The Zombies Auld Lang Syne – The Beach Boys Wake The World – The Beach Boys

There's been a lot of CBGBs in the air lately at WPKN, courtesy of programmers Dave Schneider (The Zambonis), Chris Frantz (Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club) - yes, THE Chris Frantz -and Rob Tannenbaum, a great music journalist who produced a must-have (IMHO) new box set for Cherry Red Records named "CBGB: A New York City Soundtrack 1975-1986". Inspired by the annual CTBGs show at the Fairfield Theater Company, I programmed a mainly-early CBGBs music set. This music is so important to me - and to many many other musicians and fans, whether they realize it or not.  Punk Rock, "New Wave" and Alternative Rock STARTS HERE. In The Congo – The BongosMy Three Sons (Revolve Around the Earth) – The IndividualsFa cé-La – The FeeliesJealousy – The ColorsLove & Emotion – Mink DeVilleTrapped Again – Southside Johnny & the Asbury JukesTeenage News – Sylvain SylvainTwo Tub Man – The DictatorsI Need a Million – The Laughing DogsBeat On the Brat – The RamonesRed Lights – The MarblesBlack and White (Don Dixon Mix) – The dBsTell Me Your Plans – The ShirtsPretty Dress – Cryptic SoupPicture This – BlondieFrederick – Patti Smith GroupDays – TelevisionThe Book I Read – Talking HeadsGreen For Go – PolyrockThere She Goes – Nervus RexChristmas Weather – Student TeachersDecember 26th – Alicia Witt (feat. John Paul White)(I'll Be Glad When) Christmastime Is Done – Bite the Wax Godhead

It's a Christmas week episode - what a concept! I owe my friend Al Quagliari a huge thank for providing me with lots of wondrous and oft silly Christmas and New Year's songs and soundbites, and for turning me on to Bob Rivers, the Weird Al of Christmas music. It may have been a bit self-indulgent to play my own Christmas song at the end, but I'm working on a larger Bite the Wax Godhead project at the moment, so I'm hoping to give my and Cynthia's old band just a bit of additional visibilty in the next few months before we return to obscurity. And the song isn't half-bad. This was a fun show to prepare and pull off. Happy Holidays!Merry Christmas Baby – Otis Redding O Little Town of Bethlehem – Bob RiversBounce of the Sugar Plum Fairy – John Kirby and His Orchestra Joy To the World – The ButtiesI Don't Intend to Spend Christmas Without You – Margo GuryanTchotchkes– Tchotchke & The Lemon Twigs  Decorations – Bob Rivers (Yes It's) Christmas – War Christmas In Suburbia – The Cleaners from Venus Bellringers Are Hungover – Lorraine BowenThe Christmas Song – Big Dee Irwin & Little EvaOld Toy Trains – Roger MillerChristmas At the Airport – Nick Lowe  How Do You Spell Channukkahh? – The LeeveesI Saw Hanukkah Harry Beat Up Santa Claus – Hal Singer Sled Zeppelin – Bob Rivers Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town – John DavidsonWhat Christmas Means to Me – Stevie Wonder God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/Carol of the Bells – Robert Glasper & Cynthia ErivoChristmas Time Is Here (Vocal Version – studio chatter + Takes 6 & 7) – Vince Guaraldi & St. Paul's Episcopal Church Youth ChoirSanta Don't Go – FarrahYou Trashed My Christmas – The PrimitivesXmasploitation (Santa's Badass Revenge) – monochronic All I Want for Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth) – Nat King Cole (MJ Cole Remix)  Father Christmas – The Kinks Silver and Gold – Rosine (featuring Nancy Howell and Mark Lerner)  (I'll Be Glad When) Christmastime is Done – Bite the Wax Godhead

In which we hear from The Elbow Patches (aka John Dunbar), Downtown Mystic, Guerilla Toss, Drugdealer (fronted by Weyes Blood!),The Belair Lip Bombs, a ridiculously hot early take of Vince Guaraldi's "Skating" from 1965, and many more fine performers and combos.Add Some Music To Your Day – The Beach Boys Eyes of the World (Shorefire Remix) – Downtown Mystic You Can't Kid Yourself Anymore – The Elbow Patches Play On – The Lemon TwigsLet's Pretend – The RaspberriesCuddly Toy – The MonkeesRed Flag to Angry Bull – Guerilla TossHeartthrob – Indigo De SouzaChocolates – The Aluminum GroupTwiggy Twiggy/Twiggy vs James Bond – Pizzicato 5Real Thing – Drugdealer, Weyes Blood Love Me or Let Me Be Lonely – The Friends of DistinctionSay My Name – The Belair Lip BombsTry To Make It – SloanTeenage FBI – Guided By Voices Quite the Opposite – Dominic FikeTomorrow Tomorrow – Brad Mehldau & Daniel Rossenclassic love – Luke Roberts & Kurt Vile Grocery Store – Kate MicucciThe Crumble Song (brown sugar remix) – Lorraine BowenBaby Doll – JuniperAnnie Almond – The JunipersLooking For Santa – The Hungry Dutchmen Southhold Santa – The HunkerdownsSkating  (#7, Take 2/September 22, 1965) – Vince Guaraldi Trio

My apologies for struggling to try to do the "morning drive traffic". I shouldn't even bother until I get a solid way of doing it that doesn't mess up the flow of the show. Then again, here I am complaining again about how I do the show, and everybody's telling me NOT to do that. I'm trying. I'M TRYING!! Anyways, I hope you find the Black Lodge Singers' rendition of "Mighty Mouse" as silly and life-affirming as I do. I was also happy to hear that Zoos of Berlin track, which I discovered somehow when I started at the station in 2016. I know nothing about them, but "Electrical Way" is slammin'. And Finn Wolfhard - who knew? Immortal Hands – StereolabTPA – Bad Bad HatsElectrical Way – Zoos of BerlinChoose The Latter – Finn WolfhardApples (Radio effect intro) – PugwashFree Fallin' – Imaginary Future (feat. Kina Grannis)Turning Point (Original Drums Version) – Tom Petty and the HeartbreakersAll My Black Tomorrows – Pulling Weeds/Pete CenedellaJokerman (live on David Letterman 3/22/84) – Bob Dylan & The PlugzShook Loose – Dan Jones and The SquidsSay My Name – The Belair Lip BombsNight Birds – Mike ViolaCan't Wait Too Long – The Beach BoysMind Games (Ultimate Mix) – John LennonIf I Fell (Take 11) – The BeatlesI've Got a Broken Heart – The Lemon TwigsHave You Seen Her Face – The ByrdsHyacinth House – SupergrassSunday Love – Bruce SpringsteenReach Out for Me – Dionne WarwickThis Guy’s in Love with You – Herb AlpertMighty Mouse – The Black Lodge SingersHarvest – Rufus Wainwright (feat. Andrew Bird & Chris Thile)September Song – Rufus Wainwright & The Pacific Jazz OrchestraStray Cats in Spain – Jeff Tweedy

Heavy Music – Bob Seger & The Last HeardNo Bills in Heaven – Sunflower Bean  Straight Line Was a Lie – The Beths Bloom Baby Bloom – Wolf AliceHere We Go Crazy – Bob MouldAlways Reaching – The Mommyheads  Jaded – The Mommyheads Unsatisfied – The Replacements 2468 – HorsegirlWhere Evil Grows – The Poppy FamilyLittle Green Bag – The George Baker Selection  Let's Pretend – The Lemon Twigs Friday (I'm Gonna Love You) – The Lemon TwigsI Wonder What She's Doing Tonight – Tommy Boyce & Bobby HartThe Door into Summer – The Monkees Be Like Him – Darian Sahanaja & Probyn GregoryWitchi Tai To – Harpers BizarrePrelude/To Claudia on Thursday – The MillenniumLooking for the Magic – The Dwight Twilley Band Glad – Saint Etienne  Can I Talk My Sh*t – Vagabon Northern Star – Aggie Miller Believe – Kashus Culpepper T-Shirt – David Byrne  Transportation (1990 version) – Bite the Wax GodheadGetting Away with It – Electronic

Radio history in the making! (LOL) Starting with this show, I am now the regular Monday "morning drive" 7-9 am deejay at WPKN. I've long wanted to be a cheerful get-your-morning-started announcer, and watch out for what you wish for... but I love it anyways. I finally get my shot, right here, right then. Apologies in advance for all the apologies. And Rest In Peace, Jimmy Cliff. And thank you.  I Wanna Be With You – Vicki and Debbie Peterson First Day – Far Caspian Just Like a Flower – Winter Little Bird – Famous Groupies The Fool on the Hill (Take 5 – Instrumental) – The Beatles Tell Me Why (Takes 12 And 13) – The Beatles While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Third Version/Take 27) – The Beatles Let's Pretend – The Lemon Twigs Cruisin' Music – Ronnie D’Addario Not Today – The Lemon Twigs (Ronnie D’Addario cover) This Whole World – The Beach Boys I Like Girls (Bearsville Version) – Sparks Dick Around – Sparks Deuce – Kiss Black Diamond – The Replacements I Will Dare – The Replacements Many Rivers to Cross – Jimmy Cliff Wonderful World, Beautiful People – Jimmy Cliff Hard Road to Travel – Jimmy Cliff Rivers of Babylon – The Melodians Reconsider Me – Warren Zevon Crying Inside – Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets Tomorrow Tomorrow – Brad Mehldau (feat. Daniel Rossen & Chris Thile) God Knows – Tunde Adebimpe Ankles – Lucy Dacus

This was the last of my series of late-summer 2025 fill-ins for Steve DiCostanzo's Radio Base Camp shows; he would shortly return the favor in November 2025 by filling in for several of the new 7-9 AM morning shows that I was assigned to that I couldn't pull off quite yet because my right foot was healing from (successful) surgery. Thanks, Steve!As a shortwave radio fan and historian, I was absolutely horrified by the current administration's takedown of our hisroric and essential international broadcasting stations, including the Voice of America, Radio Free Asia and Radio Free Europe. So I was glad to see that mu eternal heroes R.E.M. OK'd the use of their debut song to the world, 1981's "Radio Free Europe", in a new EP that included an excellent new remix of the mysterious, propulsive and soaring original track - the Hibtone one, which came out before the first EP, which I also played. Profits from their new "Radio Free Europe" EP are going towards keeping the actual Radio Free Europe broadcast operations alive, although (as I write this) they are still barely managing to survive. Radio Free Europe (Jacknife Lee Remix) – R.E.M. Radio Free Europe (Original Hibtone 45) – R.E.M. Lament – Blake BabiesSo Long – Fischer-ZThis Time – INXS  Block of Wood – The BatsPink Frost – The ChillsMap Ref 41 Degrees N 93 Degrees – Wire First Day – Far CaspianMetal – The Beths You Didn't See – Andy Shauf F.O.O.F. – Frankie CosmosSave Your Soul – Kathleen Edwards  Cryin' Inside – Nick LoweAmerican Squirm – Nick Lowe Everyday I Write the Book – Elvis Costello & The AttractionsMayor of Simpleton – XTC Here, There and Everywhere (Take 6) – The BeatlesStray Cats in Spain – Jeff Tweedy As We Go Along – The Monkees  Glad – Saint Etienne Can I Talk My Sh*t? – Vagabon Shooting Star – Sunflower BeanTomorrow Tomorrow – Brad Mehldau feat. Daniel Rossen Porcupine – Sparks The Summer's Over (solo acoustic) – Alec Cumming

If you're an avid listener of the show*, you'd know that a big fave "genre" of mine to play on Snap Crackle POP! is (are?) backing tracks... that is, the sound of a finished track minus the vocals, so one can hear the instruments and the musicians and the musician's/producer's/arranger's artistry much more clearly. You can see the sausage/donuts/magic being made, in other words. So I decided to dedicate a whole show to these kind of tracks, because... well, I probably listen to Beatles and Beach Boys session tracks much more now than I do to their actual finished tracks. (This is why that, for the life of me, I don't care at all about the whole "mono mixes versus today's remastered crap" thing. As long as I can hear an elctrifying/life-affirming piece of music played in a ass-kicking, classic and/or deconstrucrted way, as long as the "magic" of the art-being-made is still thrillingly evident, I'm there.)Yes, many of these tracks are actually outtakes, alternate versions, rarities or covers in addition to actual backing tracks, but... well, you can deal.  Jackson 5Never Can Say Goodbye (DJ Moch's Extended Reconstruction)I Want You Back (backing track)The Rolling StonesDead Flowers (alternate version)Brown Sugar (alternate version w/ Eric Clapton)Rice Krispies jingle When the Whip Comes Down (live 1978, Sucking In The Seventies version)The WhoI Can See For Miles (mono mix w/ session noises)Little BillyKids! Do You Want Kids (Pete Townsend demo)Christmas (Pete Townsend Tommy demo)The KinksWaterloo Sunset (session excerpt + backing track take 2)Starstruck (alternate mix with session chat) Phenomenal Cat (alternate mix with session chat)Do You Remember Walter (backing track)People Take Pictures of Each Other (cover by Steady Water & Bedouine)Misty Water (Village Green Preservation Society outtake)The Beach BoysLet Him Run Wild (Stack-o-Tracks instrumental version) Can't Wait Too Long (1993 mix) With a Little Help from My Friends Walk On ByLonely Days SMiLE backing vocals montage Good Vibrations (45 backing track)The AssociationWindy (backing track)Never My Love (w/ extended Larry Knechtel end solo)Are You There with Another Girl (backing track) – Dionne Warwick/Burt BacharachBlackbird – Brad MehldauThe BeatlesYou Only Give Me Your Money (take 36)Yes It Is (takes 2 & 14)It's Only Love (takes 3 & 2)Getting Better (take 1/instrumental)Getting Better (take 12/instrumental)I'll Be Back (take 2)I'll Be Back (take 3)No Reply (demo)No Reply (take 2)This Boy (takes 12 & 13)Eleanor Rigby (session chat + take 2/instrume)She's Leaving Home (take 6/instrumental)Here Comes The Sun (take 9) * you are? for reals? THANK YOU!