Listen here to this week’s dose of Doctor Roberts Sonic Tonic:
There was the customary big cheery welcome to one and all . . . and I arrived with a rather special recipe for this weeks dose of Doctor Roberts Sonic Tonic with plenty of ingredients take to make your ears smile and your toes wiggle. We got off to a good start with our opener from the Tower of Power and when it was time for our Tell It Like It Is feature, I brought a story about a song that created a new record for the music industry, this week in 1987, when Aretha Franklin became the artist with the lengthiest interval (19 years and 10 months) between No.1 hits. It was when her duet with George Michael . . . “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” that got to No.1 again.
There was some Crescent City swinging out with the much celebrated Jon Cleary, who was back in town this past week. He was made very welcome, especially by those who caught him on stage, so I found something of his to put in the playlist and it was a choice that came from an album he released some thirty years ago, delightfully titled ‘Alligator Lips & Dirty Rice’. Then, while those Crescent City vibes were all around, I added a little treat here from Clarence Frogman Henry. I warned that you may gasp in amazement when I told you that Clarence was here doing a little Chas & Dave favourite. It proved to be a bit of a rarity, but it must have pleased Chas & Dave to have Clarence recording this particular tune . . . which just might have been written with him in mind . . . ‘I Ain’t Pleasing You’.
Go Ahead
This Time It’s Real – Tower Of Power
News You Can Use – Eli Paperboy Reed
Running Back To You – Laura Evans
Sugar Boy – Carolyn Crawford
Go Ahead Baby – Jon Cleary
Ain’t No Pleasing You – Clarence Frogman Henry
Let Your Love Shine – Forest Sun
Tell It Like It Is
I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) – Aretha Franklin & George Michael
Here I Go
I Like It Like That – Don Bryant
Here I Go Again – The Sextones
Smart Money – Mark Knopfler
Blown Away – Jeff Lynne
Mellow Moment
Perfect Day – Al Green
See You Again
See You Again – The Commoners
If You Want Me Stay – Ina Forsman
Down On The Street – Shakatak
Never Gonna Let You Go – Nigel Hall
Harder Than It Has To Be – Renee Austin
Gotcha Covered
Addicted To Love – Sheridan Smith
She Makes My Day – Paul Canning
Some Guys Have All The Luck – The Persuaders
Dig That Groove
Let Your Love Shine – Forest Sun
Look It Here – Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
One Man Band – Frankie Moreno
When The Night Time Comes – Ray Bonneville
Tupelo Honey – Chet Lott
Cadillac Shake – The Cadillac Kings
Dig That Groove – The Basement Apes
Boys Are Back In Town – The Bus Boys
This week’s Gotcha Covered feature, brought three songs made popular by Robert Palmer and our trio of tracks kicked off with something from actress and singer Sheridan Smith, who has played and sung on TV and stage as Cilla Black and Barbara Streisand, but she was on the playlist in her own right with Robert Palmer’s ‘Addicted To Love’. Following on was Paul Canning with a really laid back version of another of those Robert Palmer numbers ‘She Makes My Day’ and getting things extra soulful were New York City group, The Persuaders, with another song that did well for Robert Palmer but this is was the original and a rather special take on ‘Some Guys Have All The Luck’.
Well, out on the town this past week, I bumped into the much esteemed Tim Penn from the Cadillac Kings, who happen to be on my giglist here soon, and while Tim and I were enjoying some music together, I made a mental note to pull out a great piece of ‘real’ R&B by The Cadillac Kings and featuring Tim on accordion for ‘Cadillac Shake’. There was more boogying with The Basement Apes and then the revels had to end. There was just enough time to say a big thanks for your good company this week and the hope that we’ll meet again soon for another dose of Doctor Roberts Sonic Tonic. Until then . . . remember . . . have fun!
Broadcast by Maritime Radio 96.5fm on 17 April 2024
Broadcast by Reflections Radio on 22 April 2024
Just Cruising 