KEEP ON PUSHING
EPISODE 1

From Studio C Chicago, it's "Keep On Pushing," a motley and mind-expanding exploration of the Sixties, with plenty of air time given to pop, soul, British Invasion, blues, bossa nova, Broadway, jazz, lounge, film music, folk music, garage rock, and much more. I'm Andy Miles and this is Buddy Guy.

Buddy Guy “First Time I Met the Blues” (1960)

The Premiers “Make It Me” (1965)

Stevie Kimble “All the Trouble in the World” (1966)

Roy Orbison “Blue Angel” (1960)

That's Roy Orbison with "Blue Angel," a 1960 A-side that cracked the top 10 singles charts in three countries, including the United States. It was the follow-up to Orbison's first hit, "Only the Lonely," which was a bit of an international sensation in the spring and summer of 1960.

Stevie Kimble before that, "All the Trouble in the World." That song was a hit in Britain in 1966.

We heard "Make It Me," a Stax Records release from 1965 from The Premiers, a band that should not be confused with the '60s garage rock band The Premiers.

And Buddy Guy at the top of the show, "First Time I Met The Blues," a Chess Records B-side released in 1960, just the fourth single of Guy's then-young career and his second for Chess, then a 10-year-old blues label based in Chicago.

And you're listening to "Keep On Pushing" from Studio C Chicago. I'm Andy Miles. Glad to have you along. Great music on the way, including Dusty Springfield, Fats Domino, Phil Ochs, and this from Lambert, Hendricks & Ross.

Lambert, Hendricks & Ross “Come On Home” (1961)

The Edwin Hawkins Singers “Oh, Happy Day” (1964)

Brenda Holloway “Every Little Bit Hurts” (1964)

Desmond Dekker & The Aces “Israelites” (1969)

Desmond Dekker & The Aces, “Israelites” from 1969. It made the 10 top on 14 charts around the world, including number one in the U.K., where it went top 10 again six years later, in 1975. Dekker was Jamaican-born and died at the age of 64 in 2006. "Israelites" was his only American hit.

We heard Brenda Holloway, "Every Little Bit Hurts," a Motown hit from 1964, and the second time Holloway recorded the song. The second time was the charm, giving her her first hit. She later co-wrote with Motown's Berry Gordy Jr. "You've Made Me So Very Happy," which was a minor hit for Holloway but a major hit for Blood, Sweat & Tears when they put it out in 1969.

The Edwin Hawkins Singers were in there with "Oh Happy Day," a big hit in 1969 with Dorothy Combs Morrison on lead vocals, and Mr. Hawkins providing the piano and directing the choir. That's probably the oldest song I'll play on the show today, its origin dating back to 18th century England. Hawkins did the gospel arrangement in 1967 and it became one of the surprise hits of 1969, topping charts in three countries and going top five on three American charts.

Lambert, Hendricks & Ross at the top of the set, "Come on Home" from 1961, a song written by Jon Hendricks and pianist Horace Silver.

This is "Keep On Pushing." I'm Andy Miles. Thanks for listening.

More jazz now.

Russ Freeman, Bill Perkins, Gerry Mulligan, Art Pepper, Art Farmer, Bob Enevoldson, Buddy Clark, Dave Bailey & André Previn “Bread and Wine” (1960)

James Ray “I’ve Got My Mind Set On You” (1962)

The Free Design “Make The Madness Stop” (1967)

Dusty Springfield “Little By Little” (1966)

That's Dusty Springfield with one of her great '60s singles, "Little By Little," her seventh top 20 single and first of 1966, which was soon followed by the smash hit "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me."

We heard the baroque pop family group The Free Design, "Make the Madness Stop," the second track on their 1967 debut album "Kites Are Fun."

Also in there, James Ray, "I've Got My Mind Set On You" from 1962. If you didn't realize that George Harrison's hit version of that song was a cover, you're not alone! Harrison's 1987 version was a number one gold record. Ray's version — well, it didn't get much play.

At the top of the set we heard music from the jazz score of the film drama "The Subterraneans," released by MGM in 1960 and based on the 1958 Jack Kerouac novel of the same name. George Peppard, Leslie Caron, Roddy McDowall, and Janice Rule co-starred in the film, which kind of bombed. André Previn wrote most of the songs on the soundtrack and played piano, with Gerry Mulligan and Art Pepper joining him on saxophone, and Art Farmer on trumpet, among other notable instrumentalists.

One more full set on the show; it begins with, no, not the Beatles; it's Fats Domino.

Fats Domino “Lady Madonna” (1968)

Phil Ochs “I Ain’t Marching Anymore” (1964)

The Byrds “Draft Morning” (1968)

Tomorrow “The Incredible Journey of Timothy Chase” (1968)

That's the English band Tomorrow with "The Incredible Journey of Timothy Chase," the opening track on Side 2 of their only album, released on Parlophone Records in 1968.

The Byrds with the Vietnam protest song "Draft Morning" from their critically acclaimed "Notorious Byrd Brothers" album from 1968. David Crosby shared the writing credit on that one with fellow Byrds Chris Hillman and Roger McGuinn, but it apparently was not a consensual collaboration: Crosby had not finished the song before leaving the band in October 1967; his bandmates picked it up where Crosby had left off and gave themselves credit as co-writers, leaving Crosby to protest, you could say, his own protest song.

Phil Ochs before that with "I Ain't Marching Anymore," the title song from his second album, recorded in 1964 and released in '65 when American involvement in Vietnam was rapidly escalating.

"Lady Madonna" was first up in that set, a 1968 cover by Fats Domino that was his final chart hit, although it only managed to get to number 100 on the Hot 100 chart. Fitting cover considering that Paul McCartney admitted to doing a Fats Domino impression in singing the song for The Beatles, who also released “Lady Madonna” in 1968.

Well, that brings us to the end of the episode. We're going out with music by Max Roach, a song called "Another Valley" that was released on the excellent 1962 album "It's Time." This has been "Keep On Pushing." I'm Andy Miles. Thanks for listening.

Max Roach “Another Valley” (1962) [edited from about 8:45 to about 5:45]

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