Final Islandays Update for 2019

December 22^nd, 2019 to January 4th, 2020

I was very pleased to present my Christmas Gift to you, the 23rd Annual Christmas Special. It's the show that I love the most throughout the year. I love reminiscing with you about my childhood memories and the impact Christmas music has had on me throughout my life. This year after I played Zat You Santa Claus by Louis Armstrong, I enjoyed telling you about how he got the nickname Satchmo. It's also a treat to relate the True Story of Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer. I also really enjoy hearing Christmas and Holiday greetings from many stars. Perhaps my favourite hour is the 4th when the music takes a bit more of a serious traditional tone. And I always look forward to closing off the Christmas Special with what may be the most beautiful version of Silent Night ever recorded. Listening to Mahalia Jackson would melt even the coldest heart.

I am taking my usual one week vacation and will return January 5th with the first show of the year, the New Year's Dance Party. We'll start off 2020 in style!

If your birthday is coming up soon, I'd like to help you celebrate it on the New Year Dance Party, the first show for 2020 that will air January 5th. Send the details to birthdays@treasureislandoldies.com. I'll wish you Happy Birthday on the air and also play Birthday by The Beatles for you.

Voice Your Choice will return with the first show of 2020 with Stealers Wheel. Cast your vote at the Voice Your Choice page for either Stuck In The Middle With you or Star.

The final Top Five Countdown for the year is from 1968. The Number One song this week is a real Motown Classic. While it was the first version recorded, it was the second release of  I Heard It Through The Grapevine, with the first by Gladys Knight And The Pips. This week's Number One is by Marvin Gaye. It's playing at the Treasure Island Oldies Blog.

Click here for this week's Rock and Roll News Podcast for the week of December 15th. It's the final podcast for the year. The next Rock and Roll News will be on the January 5, 2020 show.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 

Happy Islandays! 

Bye for now.
Michael

Red Robinson The Last Broadcast

My very good friend Red Robinson, who is part of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, had his last regular broadcast of his Red Rock Diner show in August 2017. This brand new book Red Robinson The Last Broadcast, written by Robin Brunet, chronicles that last day for Red and then goes back for a retrospective overview of the encounters and influences Red's had throughout his career.

It's a fascinating read; not just a legendary broadcaster and a pioneer DJ, but also a champion of all good music in the 1950s, when not all music was universally accepted. It also shows the humanitarian side of Red and the causes he has championed over the years.

I was honoured to be interviewed by Robin Brunet for this book and to be included among those that know him, respect and love him.

I'm sure you will enjoy this book and the sheer number of celebrities featured throughout the book. I'm glad to let you know it's available in Kindle and soft cover versions at both Amazon.com and Amazon.ca and other great online book sellers.

Thanks for sharing your memories, Red.

Michael

Your Islandays Update Week of December 15th

December 15^th to 21^st, 2019

Hi and welcome to this week's Islandays Update. This week's show sure zipped by fast for me that's for sure. At the end of one of the hours, I double checked to see if I was about to start the 3rd or the 4th hour. It was the 4th. Time flies when you're having fun. And I sure enjoyed putting together the playlist for this week's show for you. Among the many Christmas Treasures, I wanted to play There's Trouble Brewing by Jack Scott. I was saddened to learn of the passing of this rockabilly rock country pop recording artist and songwriter. And what a career he had! Between June 1958 and November 1961, Jack Scott scored 19 hits on the Billboard charts. His debut album yielded no less than 8 hit singles out of 12 songs on the LP. WOW! He died from congestive heart failure December 12 in Warren, Michigan. I was very honoured to have Treasure Island Oldies as the only online oldies radio show prominently featured at the top of his Jack Scott website. My sincere condolences go out to his family and fans.

I am getting so excited! My Christmas gift to you happens next week. It's the 23rd Annual Christmas Special and I reserve some of my favourite Christmas songs and recordings of all time for this special show. We'll be Live next Sunday, December 22nd at the usual time of 6 pm Pacific, 9 pm Eastern, and also airing throughout the week on the Broadcast Partners Network Affiliate Stations.

If your birthday is coming up soon, I'd like to help you celebrate it on the New Year Dance Party, the first show for 2020 that will air January 5th. Send the details to birthdays@treasureislandoldies.com. I'll wish you Happy Birthday on the air and also play Birthday by The Beatles for you.

Voice Your Choice will return with the first show of 2020. Details soon.

The Top Five Countdown this week is from 1968. The Number One song this week is a real Motown Classic. While it was the first version recorded, it was the second release of  I Heard It Through The Grapevine, with the first by Gladys Knight And The Pips. This week's Number One is by Marvin Gaye. It's playing at the Treasure Island Oldies Blog.

Click here for this week's Rock and Roll News Podcast. It's the final podcast for the year. The next Rock and Roll News will be on the January 5, 2020 show.

Join me next week for the 23rd Annual Christmas Special. 

Happy Islandays! 

Bye for now.
Michael

Marvin Gaye Number One Treasure Island Oldies Top Five Countdown 1968

This week on Treasure Island Oldies, the Top Five Countdown, the last countdown for this year, is from 1968.

Marvin Gaye wrote and recorded I Heard It Through The Grapevine, but the first version released was by Gladys Knight and The Pips. This week though, it was Marvin's original version  that swept up the charts.

At Number One this week in 1968, here's Marvin Gaye with the definitive version of I Heard It Through The Grapevine.

Enjoy!

By the way, the Top Five Countdown will return for the first show of 2020, the New Year Dance Party, live Sunday, January 5th.

Michael

Jack Scott Canada's First Rock Star Has Died At Age 84

MICHIGAN (CelebrityAccess) – Canadian rock and roll pioneer Jack Scott has passed away at the age of 84.

Scott died of Congestive Heart Failure in a hospital in Warren, Michigan, earlier this week. His death was confirmed by his daughter Jackie Matthews in a Facebook post Thursday (Dec. 12).

Scott, who was born Giovanni Scafone Junior in Windsor, Ontario, on January 24, 1936, had a major impact on the spread of rock and roll music across his native Canada. A master of moving seamlessly between rock, pop, doo-wop, rockabilly, gospel, and country, among other genres, Scott secured 19 records on The Billboard Charts between 1958 and 1961, according to FYI Music News.

His double-sided national hit “Leroy” (#11) / “My True Love” (#3), which was released on the Carlton record label in 1958, jump-started his career selling over one million copies.

In 2007, Scott was voted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame, and in 2011, he was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Your Islandays Update

December 8^th to 14^th, 2019

It's the second week of The Islandays Season here on the Island, and what a cool way then having Christmas with The Wrecking Crew. They were the studio musicians in Los Angeles who performed on countless hit records and albums. It's amazing to think these very talented musicians helped create incredible hits for Sonny and Cher, The Association, Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys, The Mamas and Papas, The Monkees, The Crystals, Ronettes, Righteous Brothers, Darlene Love, Glen Campbell (a one time Wrecking Crew musician himself), and so many, many more. It was interesting to hear from some of the musicians and their thoughts on their career, as well as drop in on a recording session in Los Angeles. Add to that a ton of great Christmas and holiday songs by some of the greatest stars. All in all, a very interesting, entertaining and enjoyable show this week. And there's more to come next week as we continue to play  more great Holiday music from your Home for the Islandays!

We're just two weeks away from the 23rd Annual Christmas Special. We'll be Live Sunday, December 22nd and airing throughout the week on the Broadcast Partners Network Affiliate Stations. Can't wait to bring you this show; it's my favourite show of the year to present to you.

This week we celebrated several birthdays on the show. Happy Birthday wishes to Patsy Phipps in Springfield, Illinois; Lennart Persson in Gothenberg, Sweden (he's a long time listener via Radio 88 FM in Gothernberg), Paul David in Wembley Park, England (he listens via The VIP Lounge Oldies Funhouse Radio in England), my friend Aron Gutman in Richmond, British Columbia, and last but not least, Isaac Shane in San Diego, California. Isaac and I worked together many years ago at Top Forty CFOM in Quebec City. Wow, an international list of birthdays that's for sure! If your birthday is coming up soon, I'd like to help you celebrate it on the show. Send the month and date to birthdays@treasureislandoldies.com. I'll wish you Happy Birthday on the air and also play Birthday by The Beatles for you.

Voice Your Choice will return with the first show of 2020. Details soon.

The Top Five Countdown this week is from 1963. The Number One song this week is a most unlikely sounding hit record. It's Dominique by The Singing Nun. It's playing at the Treasure Island Oldies Blog.

Click here for this week's Rock and Roll News Podcast.

Join me for more great music next week on Treasure Island Oldies, your Home for the Islandays!

Bye for now.
Michael

The Singing Nun - Number One Treasure Island Oldies Top Five Countdown 1963

Here is a very unlikely sounding hit record by a very unlikely artist. It's the Singing Nun with Dominique. It's Number One this week on the Treasure Island Oldies Top Five Countdown.
Enjoy!
Michael

Happy Islandays! Treasure Island Oldies Update

December 1^st to 7^th, 2019

It's the beginning of December and the Islandays Season! It was so good to go into the Christmas section of the music library and select some great songs to play for you this week. I like mixing your seasonal favourites, along with some Lost Christmas Treasures; and it was a pleasure to play Bobby Vee, Bing Crosby, Darlene Love, Gordon Lightfoot, Ray Charles and Betty Carter, and so many other great artists. Check out the entire list of songs I played on this week's show at the Listen page, then scroll down to the Playlist.

Apart from the next two weeks being filled with Christmas songs, be sure to mark your calendar for December 22nd, when we'll be Live with the 23rd Annual Christmas Special. Apart from the Live show, the Christmas Special will air twenty times throughout the week on the Affiliaite Stations of the Broadcast Partners Network.

If your birthday is coming up soon, I'd like to help you celebrate it on the show. Send the month and date to birthdays@treasureislandoldies.com. I'll wish you Happy Birthday on the air and also play Birthday by The Beatles for you.

Next week on Treasure Island Oldies, it's the last Voice Your Choice for 2019 with Rare Earth. Cast your vote at the Voice Your Choice page for either (I Know) I'm Losing You or Get Ready. I'll play the winner next week.

The Top Five Countdown this week is from 1967. The Monkees hold down the Number One spot with Daydream Believer. It's playing at the Treasure Island Oldies Blog.

Click here for this week's Rock and Roll News Podcast.

Join me again next week  next week on Treasure Island Oldies, your Home for the Islandays!

Bye for now.
Michael

Rare Earth Voice Your Choice Treasure Island Oldies

Rare Earth were a hot rock group from Detroit, and one of the first successful white acts signed to Motown. In fact, Motown created a whole new label which they called Rare Earth Records. The original line-up consisted of Pete Rivera (lead vocals and drums), Rod Richards (guitar), Kenny James (keyboards), Gil Bridges (sax), Ed Guzman (percussion), and John Persh (bass).

Their first two charted hits, Get Ready and (I Know) I'm Losing You, were cover versions of classic Motown hits originally recorded by The Temptations; and both were Top Ten hits.

Next week on Treasure Island Oldies, the last Voice Your Choice for 2019 spotlights Rare Earth. Cast your vote at the Voice Your Choice page for either (I Know) I'm Losing You or Get Ready. I'll play the winner on next week's show.

The Monkees Number One Treasure Island Oldies Top Five Countdown 1967

This week on Treasure Island Oldies, the Top Five Countdown is from 1967. They met with instant success with the launch of The Monkees TV show. That popularity on television translated to radio, with the Pre-Fab Four scoring many hits.

Here they are with their youthful vigor, The Monkees with the Number One song, Daydream Believer.

Enjoy!
Michael