Treasure Island Oldies Year End Island Update

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Edition

It's wonderful how we pour our passion and energy into what we love to do. Whether it be wrapping presents to look great for the recipient, preparing the Christmas feast or preparing my Annual Christmas Special, I love this Holiday Season. Thank you for joining me for my 22nd Annual Christmas Special.

I am pleased to let you know the archived Christmas Special will be available throughout the holidays. In addition, another very popular special, the Instrumental Gems Wordless Wonders Special will also be available for you to enjoy. Please note that both the Christmas and Instrumental Gems specials will play on every format: desktop, laptop, tablet and smartphone, no matter the operating system. Many thanks to my Webmaster, Eddy Fisher, for making the all-format archives available. Also, if you are wondering about a specific song I played that you could not identify, the entire Playlist is at the Listen page.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Hugh Dobbie. Jr. and Yare Media, our exclusive live stream provider. I'd also like to say a big hello to the Broadcast Partners Network Affiliate Radio Stations that air my show every week.

Voice Your Choice returns January 6th with another year of great artists and songs for your votes. Elton John will be in the spotlight with two of his very many hits. Cast your vote at the Voice Your Choice page for either Goodbye Yellow Brick Road or Philadelphia Freedom.  I'll play the winning song on January 6th. 

I am taking my annual Christmas break and will return with the New Year Dance Party, Live, Sunday, January 6, 2019.

Thank you once again for inviting me into your home every week. It's my great pleasure to bring you Treasure Island Oldies throughout the year.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Bye for now.
Michael

Your Island Update for this week.

December 16^th to December 22^th, 2018

Here we are; it's the second to last Island Update for this year. This week's show was a preview of the Christmas Special coming next week. In the meantime, the Christmas music vaults were delved into in a big way with some truly Lost Treasures and some of your holiday favourites as well. It was great to play The Cowsills and The Candy Kid, the Rocky Fellers with their seasonal 1962 hit, Santa Santa. I also enjoyed playing two songs for you that were originally pressed on a green vinyl 45 and not available to the general public. Christmas Time and Reggae Christmas were recorded by Bryan Adams for the fan club members exclusively. They made such an impact that they were eventually commercially released. I am so proud to have signed Bryan Adams to A&M Records and to have helped develop his career, which is still going strong today. For the complete list of every song I played on the show, go to the Listen page and scroll down to the Playlist.

I also trust you enjoyed this week's Top Five Countdown, with a twist. Instead of the five biggest songs from a given year, this week it was the Top Five Christmas Doo Wop songs. Number One is Christmas In Jail by The Youngsters from 1956. Watch the 78 rpm original record video, now playing at the Treasure Island Oldies Blog. Listen for the great audio quality from the 78 rpm. Very cool.

Next week it's my absolute favourite show of the year to prepare and present to you. It's the 22nd Annual Treasure Island Oldies Christmas Special. I'll be playing some of the greatest Christmas songs of all time, with some fun holiday tunes that will jog your memory. In the 4th hour, I'll delve into some of the classic Christmas Carols, including what may just be the most beautiful and emotional version of Silent Night ever recorded. Tune in starting at 6 pm Pacific for my Christmas gift to you.

As I will be taking a one week break after the Christmas special, I look forward to helping you celebrate your birthday on the first show for 2019 on January 6th, I will catch up on any birthdays missed during the holidays. And if  your birthday is coming up, be sure to let me know in advance so that I can wish you Happy Birthday on the air and also play Birthday by The Beatles for you. Send the birthday info to birthdays@treasureislandoldies.com 

Voice Your Choice returns January 6th with another year of great artists and songs for your votes. Elton John will be in the spotlight with two of his very many hits. Cast your vote at the Voice Your Choice page for either Goodbye Yellow Brick Road or Philadelphia Freedom.  I'll play the winning song on January 6th.

Listen to this week's Rock and Roll News Podcast.

Enjoy your week. See you next Sunday for the 22nd Annual Christmas Special. I look forward to your company. 

Bye for now.
Michael

Elton John Voice Your Choice

Elton John was born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on March 25, 1947 in Pinner, Middlesex, England and has become one of the most popular singers, songwriters, musicians, performers and entertainers of the 20th Century. Before having a solo career, he was a member of the British group Bluesology, which included Elton Dean and Long John Baldry. It was from those two fellows that he took the name Elton John. In 1967, he teamed up with lyricist Bernie Taupin and then embarked on the career of a lifetime as Elton John.

Between 1970 and 2000 he racked up an impressive 70 appearances on the Billboard charts. Now that is quite a feat! Sir Elton John has also had twenty-eight Number One records, thirteen Gold Records and six Platinum Records; and these are just the singles!

Treasure Island Oldies is pleased to present Sir Elton John for the first Voice Your Choice of 2019.

Cast your vote at the Voice Your Choice page for either Goodbye Yellow Brick Road or Philadelphia Freedom. I'll play the winning song on the first show of 2019 on January 6th. 

Treasure Island Oldies Top Five Doo Wop Christmas Songs

This week on the all Christmas songs edition of Treasure Island Oldies, the Top Five Countdown reflected not a specific year, but the Top Five Christmas Doo Wop Songs.

At the top at Number One it's The Youngsters from 1956 with Christmas In Jail. Check out how good the quality is playing from its original 78 rpm on Empire Records!

Merry Christmas

Enjoy!
Michael

Nancy Wilson, Noted Jazz and Pop Singer Has Died At Age 81

Nancy Wilson, the Grammy-winning "song stylist" and torch singer whose polished pop-jazz vocals made her a platinum artist and top concert performer, died December 13th
.
Wilson, who retired from touring in 2011, died after a long illness at her home in Pioneertown, a California desert community near Joshua Tree National Park, her manager and publicist Devra Hall Levy told The Associated Press late Thursday night. She was 81.

Influenced by Dinah Washington, Nat "King" Cole and other stars, Wilson covered everything from jazz standards to Little Green Apples and in the 1960s alone released eight albums that reached the top 20 on Billboard's pop charts. Sometimes elegant and understated, or quick and conversational and a little naughty, she was best known for such songs as her breakthrough Guess Who I Saw Today and the 1964 hit (You Don't Know) How Glad I Am, which drew upon Broadway, pop and jazz.

For more, please go to https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/nancy-wilson-grammy-winning-jazz-singer-dies-at-81-1.4945920

This week's Island Update - Week of December 9, 2018

December 9^th to December 15^th, 2018

As they say, time flies when you're having fun. That's exactly what happened for me this week. The four hours seemed to go by like four minutes. That means I had a great time! Thanks very much for listening again this week. The show was 50/50: 50% Christmas 50% Great Oldies. And in the mix was a wonderful array of Classic Christmas songs, excellent tunes from this week's Spotlight Year, 1961, as well as some great Lost Treasures. It was great to hear Papa Noel, the flip side of Rockin' Around The Christmas tree by Brenda Lee. If you had the 45 in your collection, you enjoyed two great Christmas songs on one record. I enjoyed playing and enjoying Baby It's Cold Outside by Ray Charles and Betty Carter. What a classic version and what a great Christmas song. I don't care what people think this song is about. They are wrong. Watch the original version in the 1949 movie, Neptune's Daughter starring Esther Williams. The song is about flirting by both individuals, and the fun of celebrating the holidays together and dealing with the snowy cold weather. One could create objections about just any song. Get a life! OK let's move on. 

I also enjoyed playing Linda Scott for you. Of course, you remember her for I've Told Every Little Star, but did you remember her 1961 Christmas song, Christmas Day? Other great seasonal songs included Mistletoe And Wine by Cliff Richard, and another you rarely ever hears anymore, I'm Gonna Be Warm This Winter by Conner Francis. So many great songs. For the complete playlist for this week's show, go to the Listen page and scroll down.

Next week we go to 100% Christmas songs throughout the four hours. However, I promise to cherry pick some of my favourite and greatest Christmas music of all time and reserve them for the 22nd Annual Christmas Special, Live Sunday, December 23rd. I love this Christmas Season with the lights and music. It is here with us for such a short time. I sure love celebrating and enjoying December with you.

Happy Birthday wishes go out this week to Aron Gutman in Richmond, British Columbia, along with my son David's partner, Victoria Bass in Kamloops, British Columbia. If your birthday is coming up soon, please be sure to let me know in advance so that I can wish you Happy Birthday on the air and also play Birthday by The Beatles for you. Send the birthday info to birthdays@treasureislandoldies.com 

This week's Top Five Countdown is from our Spotlight Year, 1961. At the top of the chart this week is Motown's The Marvelettes. Please Mr. Postman is now playing at the Treasure Island Oldies Blog.

Next week Voice Your Choice spotlights the great voice of Johnny Mathis. There are two Christmas songs for your votes. Cast your vote at the Voice Your Choice page for either Sleigh Bells or It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas.  I'll play the winning song on next week's show.

Listen to this week's Rock and Roll News Podcast.

Enjoy your week. See you next Sunday for the Live all-Christmas music show. 

Bye for now.
Michael

Johnny Mathis - Voice Your Choice

I had the great pleasure of meeting Johnny Mathis after a wonderful concert in Vancouver in 2009. Such a gentleman and great entertainer. Here we are together after the show.

I am pleased to spotlight Johnny Mathis on Voice Your Choice. He was born John Royce Mathis, the fourth of seven children to Clem and Mildred Mathis on September 30, 1945 in Gilmer, Texas. As a young boy, the family moved to San Francisco where, at the age of 13, he began studying music and vocal lessons with Connie Cox, a Bay Area voice teacher.

Johnny had a two career opportunity facing him: either become a professional singer or a professional athlete. He won a Track Scholarship to San Francisco State College and was even invited to the Olympic tryouts. He opted for music, and as they say, the rest is history.

Between 1957 and 1984, Johnny Mathis appeared on the Billboard charts 45 times, reached the Top Ten six times, and achieved three Gold Records. His Johnny Mathis Greatest Hits album, released April 4, 1958 remained on the Billboard Top 100 Album chart for 409 weeks!

This week on Treasure Island Oldies, Voice Your Choice spotlights the amazing Johnny Mathis with two of his great his songs. Cast your vote at the Voice Your Choice page for either Sleigh Ride or It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas. I'll play the winning song on next week's show.

The Marvelettes Please Mr. Postman Number One Treasure Island Oldies Top Five Countdown 1961

This week's Spotlight Year on Treasure Island Oldies is 1961. At the top of the charts this week, it was Motown's The Marvelettes.

Here they are, The Marvelettes with Please Mr. Postman, Number One in 1961.

Enjoy!
Michael

Rock Stars At Home

I've got a very cool gift suggestion for the rock fan. It's a brand new book being released January 2019 called Rock Star At Home.

If you can't get to your favourite star's home yourself, Rock Stars At Home will take you there. Imagine checking out the homes of Elton John, Elvis Presley, Neil Young, Michael Jackson, Jimi Hendrix, John and Yoko, Sonny and Cher, and so many others.

There's stories and photos and even inside accounts of the goings on!

I know how much you love your music and the artists that brought their music into your homes. Now you can check out their homes!

My thanks to Apollo Publishers for an advance preview copy of Rock Stars At Home.

This Week on Treasure Island Oldies - Week of December 2, 2018

December 2^nd to December 8^th, 2018

Well here we are - December! Just three weeks away from this year's Annual Christmas Special, December 23rd. This year will mark the 22nd year I am fortunate to bring you my favourite show of the year. It's four hours of the greatest Christmas Music of all time. Get the hot chocolate ready; spike it at your discretion. :-)
In the meantime, this week we rolled out the Christmas songs in earnest and it was great to hear seasonal songs by Carla Thomas, Clarence Carter, Adam Faith, Dean Martin, Paul Evans, and many more. The complete playlist is at the Listen page, including songs from this week's Spotlight Year 1966.

It's my pleasure to wish Happy Birthday this week to Patsy Phipps in Springfield, Illinois; Lennart Persson in Gothenberg, Sweden; and cousin Debbie Fine in Montreal, Quebec. Happy Birthday everyone! If your birthday is coming up soon, please be sure to let me know in advance so that I can wish you Happy Birthday on the air and also play Birthday by The Beatles for you. Send the birthday info to birthdays@treasureislandoldies.com 

This week's Top Five Countdown is from our Spotlight Year, 1966. At the top of the chart this week is a group created by songwriter Geoff Stevens, the New Vaudeville Band.  Winchester Cathedral is now playing at the Treasure Island Oldies Blog.

Next week Voice Your Choice spotlights an artist referred to as Gentleman Jim. We've got two songs from the Jim Reeves Twelve Songs Of Christmas album for your votes. Cast your vote at the Voice Your Choice page for either An Old Christmas Card or Jingle Bells.  I'll play the winning song on next week's show.

Listen to this week's Rock and Roll News Podcast.

Enjoy your week. See you next Sunday for the Live show. 

Bye for now.
Michael

New Vaudeville Band Number One Treasure Island Oldies Top Five Countdown 1966

In 1966, a songwriter by the name of Geoff Stevens wrote a novelty song and created a group, the New Vaudeville Band, to record it.

This week on Treasure Island Oldies, the Spotlight Year is 1966. At at the very top of the chart sitting at Number One this week is Winchester Cathedral by the New Vaudeville Band.

Oh-bo-de-o-do oh-bo-de-o-do

Enjoy!
Michael

Jim Reeves Voice Your Choice

Jim Reeves was born in Panola County, Texas on August 20, 1923. At an early point in his life, he was working towards a professional baseball career until he suffered an ankle injury. In the early 1950s he became a DJ and worked at KWKH in Shreveport, Louisiana.

He joined the cast of the Louisiana Hayride in 1953, then the Grand Ole Opry in 1955. His first release for RCA Victor was in 1957. He charted 23 hits on the pop charts between 1957 and 1966, two years after his death in a plane crash in Nashville, Tennessee on July 31, 1964. He was just 40 years old. I am sure he would have continued to enjoy a highly successful career were it not for the tragic accident. He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1967.

Treasure Island Oldies is pleased to present Jim Reeves in a Holiday Music themed Voice Your Choice for next week. Cast your vote at the Voice Your Choice page for either An Old Christmas Card or Jingle Bells. I'll play the winner on next week's show.