​Nobody Told Me by John Lennon
This song was written by John Lennon in 1976 with the title “Everybody’s Talkin’, Nobody’s Talkin’.” 
He recorded the song at the sessions for his 1980 album Double Fantasy, but decided not to include it on the set, giving it to his Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr instead.  Ringo was going to record the song for his 1981 album Stop and Smell the Roses, but when Lennon was killed, he didn't feel comfortable recording it. 
Lennon's recording finally surfaced in 1984 when it was released as a single and included on Milk and Honey, an album comprised of songs recorded during the Double Fantasy sessions that didn't make the cut. It was a big posthumous hit, reaching the Top 10 in both the US and UK. 
Behind the Mask by Eric Clapton
That song was done by Japanese synth-pop group Yellow Magic Orchestra and was initially an instrumental used by Seiko as a commercial. 
In the early 1980s, producer Quincy Jones brought the song to the attention of Michael Jackson, who rewrote the lyrics and added an accompanying melody. The Jackson version was planned for inclusion on his 1982 album Thriller but was dropped following legal disputes.
Afterwards, Eric Clapton recorded it based on Jackson's updated version on his 1986 August album. 
She Said She Said by The Beatles
 Our next track was the final track recorded for the Revolver album.  During The Beatles’ US tour in the summer of 1965, they rented a house in Los Angeles’ and played host to Roger McGuinn and David Crosby of The Byrds, and the two parties, apart from Paul McCartney, spent the day tripping on LSD.  The actor Peter Fonda arrived at the house, also on acid. He attempted to comfort George Harrison, who thought he was dying.  Peter Fonda said “I told him there was nothing to be afraid of and that all he needed to do was relax.
I said that I knew what it was like to be dead because when I was 10 years old I’d accidentally shot myself in the stomach and my heart stopped beating three times while I was on the operating table because I’d lost so much blood. 
John was passing at the time and heard me saying ‘I know what it’s like to be dead’. He looked at me and said, ‘You’re making me feel like I’ve never been born. Who put all that shit in your head?’ 
California Sun by The Rivieras
So, were The Rivieras from Orange County, California, during this heyday of the surf rock revolution? Nope, they were from South Bend, Indiana, specifically alumni of South Bend Central High School.
And they were literally a teenage garage band, in which the lead singer Marty "Bo" Fortson left shortly after this single came out to join the Marines and go off to Vietnam. The other band members dropped out of the band one by one under pressure from their parents to go on to college and stop this rock 'n' roll nonsense at once.  

*We'll enjoy a track that was originally recorded in 1964 by The Four Seasons (the B-side of their #1 hit, Rag Doll) but became an even bigger hit when this band recorded and released it 3 years later.  The band that recorded that version was touring with The Hollies when the track became a huge hit, going to #1 in the U.K.  Name the band and extra credit for the name of the song.
 
*This artist was not mentioned in similar light as many 'household name' performers of his prime time, but he should have been.  His records usually have more of a soul and/or country feel to them, although the album track we'll play (from 1993) had a decidedly rock and roll feel to it.  Originally from Indiana, this artist broke onto the music scene, moving to Nashville early in life to write music and became very well known for his great songs, name bands and artists made famous.  Name the artist..
 
*This great song from 1973 was inspired by events leading up to the final date of thos band's U.S. tour.  They had a gig lined up for a city in Tennessee and most of the band flew to the location.  However two members decided to drive instead.  The equipment went on the plane as well, but the airlines lost the group's founder, songwriter and vocalist's guitar.  The show almost got cancelled, but ended up going on as planned.  Name the band and extra credit for the name of the song...
 
*Is there a quintessential sensitive California singer/songwriter from the early 70's?  You betcha!  Not many had the influence of say, Joni Mitchell and James Taylor, but this artist certainly did!  This artist's first 3 albums were considered classics.  The 4th and 5th, to many critics, were far less satisfying.  We'll play a track from album #6 where the tracks were less philosophical, but remained as personal as his early work.  Still making music today...name the artist...
 
BATTLE OF THE BANDS
Freedom Rider by Traffic  vs Tunnel Of Love by Dire Straits
 
ANSWERS
1. Tremeloes, Silence Is Golden
2. John Hiatt
3. Mott The Hoople, All The Way From Memphis
4. Jackson Browne
Listeners picked Traffic by a Slim 51% margin

*We'll play a track from this great band's 5th album, that was actually intended to be on their 3rd album.  In fact, the song has a 'name' connection to the 3rd album.  But during the initial recording sessions, no one liked how it came out, so they shelved it.  Two years later in 1970 they brought back the track that is all about the quest for the American Dream, which is seldom attained.  Name the band, the song and extra credit if you know the tie-in to the band's 3rd album...
 
*This artist was born in London to his mother, a cinema usherette and father, a publicity director for an orphanage.  The Dad also helped organize charity shows in the 50's and introduced his son to all the stars giving the son a very early look into the entertainment industry.  In 1966, the son was well on his way to an incredible musical career and decided to change his name for a very specific reason.  The song we'll play was released in 1972 and holds the distinction of inspiring Paul McCartney's incorporating the key word of the title into his song, Jet.  Name the artist and the track...
 
*A 1964 song was a great snapshot of teenage lifestyle at the time...all about friends, girls and cars.  Musically, however, it was incredibly innovative with an opening fuzz guitar, stop-start rhythms and a keyboard line working in and out of the track.  It was the band's first recording after The Beatles took hold of America and was more or less considered America's rebuttal to said invasion.  It would go on to become this band's first #1 hit in the U.S.   Name the band and the song...
 
*We'll enjoy a long track that actually combines two songs, the first one being an instrumental.  The second part of the track is kind of an angry song about a broken relationship.  They actually started as separate songs, but the album producer fused them together and the artist loved it and made certain they stayed together.  Name the artist and track...
 
BATTLE OF THE BANDS
Born On The Bayou by John Fogerty  vs Breakdown by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
 
ANSWERS
1. Doors, Waiting for the Sun, Title of 3Rd album
2. David Bowie, Suffragette City
3. Beach Boys, I Get Around
4. Elton John, Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding
Listeners picked Tom Petty by a 53% margin

​Jeff Weigl Beats Working Friday @ 4pm
Feels Like the First Time by Foreigner
Mick Jones music career started in France, where he spent six years learning to write, produce and perform songs.
In his early 20s he returned to England with the goal of eventually becoming a successful musician in America. Spending time in the band Spooky Tooth with Gary Wright of "Dream Weaver" fame, he made it to the States as a scout before and forming the band Foreigner. 
He said of this first song, it was written about a bit of a change in my life. I was coming out of a previous marriage with somebody I'd met in France. To me it was this challenge of really going for a new start in my life. It signified a new start. I'd met somebody, I got re-married and moved with her to America, and that was the song that described that experience.
 
With a Little Help From My Friends by The Beatles
That song was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney specifically for Ringo Starr but they had one line in the song he refused to sing.
It was ‘What would you do if I sang out of tune? Would you stand up and throw tomatoes at me?’
Ringo said, ‘There’s not a chance in hell am I going to sing this line,’ because we still had lots of really deep memories of the kids throwing jelly beans and toys on stage; and I thought that if we ever did get out there again, I was not going to be bombarded with tomatoes.
 
Reach Out I’ll Be There by The Four Tops
The song was written by Motown songwriting team of Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland (Holland-Dozier-Holland).
Dozier explained: "Brian, Eddie and I often had discussions about what women really want most of all from a man, and after talking about some of our experiences with women, we all agreed that they wanted someone to be there for them, through thick or thin. 
Thus the song was born."
 
Parachute by Chris Stapleton
Chris Stapleton recalled: "I had a dream and woke up with the lyrics 'you only need a roof when it's raining…' rolling around in my head.
Didn't really know what they meant. I liked the sound of it though. 
When I got together with my friend Jim Beavers that day, I walked in the room and he was playing music that was clearly meant for the lyrics I had dreamt.
It seemed the two were meant to meet that day. Some days are luckier than others."

* David Bowie wrote and produced a great number of songs, many of which he recorded, but also a few that went to other artists.  This particular song was recorded by a struggling group at the time.  They were on the verge of breakup and had alienated their record label, preventing them from doing any recording in that studio.  Bowie snuck them into another studio in the middle of the night and helped them record this song by playing guitar and singing with them.  Name the band and extra credit for the name of the track....
 
*The lead vocalist of this band wrote a song that was recorded and released in 1964.  He had listened to a track by the great Carl Perkins and decided to write a new song with the same title.  The song is known for its inclusion of 'thumps' that the frontman of the group said was needed to promote significant audience enjoyment and participation during live performances.  The effect became known as 'The Tottenham Sound".  Name the band that did the song and extra credit for the name of the track...
 
*This artist was in the studio recording trying to come up with song ideas for his album, when Sean Lennon stopped by with his buddy, who had just turned 21 and was lamenting over how tough his generation had it.  The artist who was approaching age 40 at the time (1989) commiserated with the young man, recalling hyow 21 was also a tough age for him with the Vietnam War, Civil Rights upheavals amidst other crises.  This song's lyrics tackle events of which the artist's generation experienced.  Name the artist and extra credit for the name of the song...
 
*We'll play a track from the early 60's that was this band's first single.  The song was actually written by two members of the band when they were teenagers in 1958.  Much of their songwriting took place while skipping school together.
The track was written about one of the artist's girlfriend at the time, a Miss Iris Caldwell.  Name the band, the songwriters and extra credit for the name of the song.
 
BATTLE OF THE BANDS
Fever by Van Morrison vs We Didn’t Start The Fire by Billy Joel
 
ANSWERS
1Mott the Hopple, All The Young Dudes
2. Dave Clark Five, Glad All Over
3. Billy Joel, We Didn’t Start The Fire
4. The Beatles, Love Me Do
Listeners picked Billy Joel by a 53% margin

*We'll play a song from one of the most smooth-voiced performers whose crossover sound straddles the line between contemporary R&B, soft rock and jazz.  This artist has been a star since landing on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts with the same 1978 hit.  While R&B remains a core component of this artist's sound, he has stretched himself by embracing jazz, big band and swinging traditional pop.  Oh, and this artist has 'legendary' status in Japan of all places.   Name the artist...

*The actress by the name of Mary Badham played a starring role in the 1970 film, To Kill A Mockingbird.  One of the famous members of this band fell briefly for Badham back in the day and the song we'll play is rumored to have been written about her.  And for the record, there was a short romance, but Mary Badham ended up dumping the truly famous artist.  The song was released in 1997.  Name the artist, the band and extra credit for the name of the song...
 
*We'll play a song by a singer/songwriter whose father was a bassoonist for the New York Metropolitan Opera, who began singing commercial jingles at the age of 15.  She went on to become a staff writer for Chappell Music while attending the High School of Performing Arts.  After taking a songwriting class at New York University taught by Paul Simon, she took her talents to the Manhattan club scene and was discovered by Bette Midler and Barry Manilow.  The two hired her as a back-up singer.  Name the artist...
 
*The members of this band were once part of Roy Orbison's backing band and they took that musical experience and married it to some rough-and-tumble blues and Southern-fried rock strains similar to The Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd.  Name the band...
 
BATTLE OF THE BANDS
You Can Call Me Al by Paul Simon vs Roxanne by Sting
 
ANSWERS
1. Bobby Caldwell
2. Mick Jagger, Rolling Stones, Anybody Seen My Baby?
3. Melissa Manchester
4. Atlanta Rhythm Section
Listeners picked Paul Simon by a 54% margin

​Jeff Weigl Beats Working Friday @ 4pm
(We’re Gonna) Rock Around The Clock by Bill Haley & His Comets
That song has the distinct honor of being the first rock song to top the charts, and generally considered the beginning of the Rock Era. 
When Bill Haley released that song, it went to #1 on three different charts tracked by Billboard, Best Seller in Stores, Most Played by DJs, and Most Played in Juke Boxes. 
I Dig Rock and Roll Music by Peter, Paul and Mary
That song references and parodies the vocal styles of the Mamas and the Papas in the first verse, Donovan in the second verse and the Beatles in the third verse. 
The Kids are Alright by The Who                                          
This track was written by Pete Townshend as a tribute to the Mods, who were trendy and often rebellious British youth.  The album was produced by Shel Talmy, who  coaxed a rich, energetic sound out of The Who, but they gave him the boot for their next album, breaking their production contract. This was costly: Talmy ended up receiving royalties on every Who song they recorded up to 1971.
That Lady by The Isley Brothers
That song was originally done by the Isley Brothers in 1964 as a Cha-Cha/Bossa Nova.  Ernie Isley did not want to re-record it but Ronald Isley convinced him it would be worthwhile, as they were going to change the melody, tempo, and lyrics and that it would showcase the guitar work of younger brother Ernie, who had become an excellent player.  Ernie Isley learned a lot about the guitar from Jimi Hendrix, who played with The Isleys back in 1964.
The Fever by Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes
That song was written by Bruce Springsteen and was the first widely released version of the song.  Springsteen wrote and recorded the song in 1973, but did not release it until the 1999 compilation 18 Tracks. 
Steve Van Zandt who had been a co-founder of Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes left that band to join Springsteen’s E Street Band and felt guilty about it. Van Zandt convinced Springsteen to let Southside Johnny record two Springsteen Songs, The Fever and You Mean So Much to Me. 
Ten Men Working by Neil Young & the Blue Notes
In 1987 Neil Young began playing a short blues set between his acoustic and electric sets.  The crowd liked the songs and so he expanded the horn section, dubbing the new band, The Blue Notes.

*This American Midwestern artist released a song from an album in 1978 that was not issued in the States, but actually became a top ten hit upon its release in Australia.  One year later it did get released in the U.S.. becoming the 1st U.S. hit for the artist on the Billboard Hot 100 later that year.  The song is about a friend of the artist who was depressed and essentially living in his bedroom.  Name the artist and extra credit if you can name the track...
 
*This American artist had some quite prolific years of production in the 70's and 80's with plenty to say...all with sensitivity and poetic candor that was his stock-in-trade so to speak.  After that, albums didn't come around that often anymore, so when his 4th album of this millennium was issued in 2021, it was something to behold.  Name the artist who is defined as one of the voices of the boomer generation...
 
*Although this rocking number was first included on this artist's 1972 album, it has been featured as the zenith of his live performances prior to said release...remaining as a concerta staple throughout his career.  The song begins as a strong slice of Americana, but eventually unfurls to an accelerated fervent rave up.  It evolves into an authentic sounding revival gospel-driven number steeped in tradition.  Name the artist and extra credit for the song's name...
 
*This great American band's 2nd album in 1968 pretty well sums up the bona fide blend of amplified late-60's electric rhythm and blues, with an expressed emphasis on loose and limber boogie-woogie.  The band used a drone instrument, which gave the song a psychedelic feel.  One of the band's members had gained knowledge of Eastern music after studying the Veena (an Indian stringed instrument) while attending UCLA.  Name the band and extra credit for the track, arguably the band's greatest hit....
 
BATTLE OF THE BANDS
Burn Down the Mission by Elton John vs Best Of My Love by The Eagles
 
ANSWERS
1. John Mellencamp, I Need a Lover
2. Jackson Browne
3. Elton John, Burn Down the Mission
4. Canned Heat, On the Road Again
Listeners picked The Eagles by a 52% margin

* We'll play a track from an artist who was born in Robbinsville, NC in 1943.  Due to congenital glaucoma, he was born nearly blind and his mother took this as a sign that God was punishing her for sins, so she left him to be raised by his grandparents.  His love of music led him to an absolutely incredible career, even touring with J. J. Cale as his guitarist for a bit.  Known for his great blend of country and soul, he racked up 35 number one hits on country charts.  Name the artist...
 
*This groundbreaking band from the mid-60's made great strides in the evolution of rock & roll itself, demonstrating that intelligent lyrical content could be wedded to compelling electric guitar riffs and a solid backbeat.  We'll play a cut from an album that was most responsible for establishing folk-rock as a popular phenomenon.  Name the band...
 
*This artist was born in Chicago in 1946, but the family moved to Philadelphia 3 years later...a place that groomed her musical aspirations with influences from soul and rock artists like James Brown, The Rolling Stones, The Doors and particularly, Bob Dylan.  Her 4 albums in the mid-late 70's inspired a generation of female rockers.  Name the artist...
 
*This artist had a half-decade of collaborations with Jeff Lynne as his producer, but decided to go another route for his 1994 album, enlisting Rick Rubin, the Def Jam founder who wanted to start a production career outside of hip-hop and metal in the early 90's.  A great 1994 album anchored by a few musicians in his former band ensued.  Name the artist and extra credit for his former band...
 
BATTLE OF THE BANDS
The Border by America vs I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better by The Byrds
 
ANSWERS
1. Ronnie Milsap
2. Byrds
3. Patti Smith
4. Tom Petty, The Heartbreakers
Listeners picked The Byrds by a 56% margin