Doc's Freelance Radio Show

23/12/2025

On this day in 1974, the Harry Chapin single “Cat’s in the Cradle” went to #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 (December 21)

The folk rock song from the album “Verities & Balderdash” was to be Chapin’s only #1 song, also reaching #3 in Canada and #6 in Australia.

This touching, cautionary tale of a father and son, the fleeting passage of time, and life’s priorities became one of the most recognized and played songs in history.
A folk rock classic.

It was nominated for the 1975 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011.

The song's lyrics began as a poem written by Harry's wife, Sandra "Sandy" Gaston; the poem itself was inspired by the awkward relationship between her first husband, James Cashmore, and his father, John, a politician who served as Brooklyn borough president.

Chapin also said the song was about his own relationship with his son, Josh, admitting, "Frankly, this song scares me to death."

As it does a lot of us…

Click on the link below to watch “Cat’s in the Cradle” with a touching intro from Harry Chapin’s wife and son:

https://youtu.be/etundhQa724

, , , , , , , ,

23/12/2025

On this day in 1986, the INXS & Jimmy Barnes single “Good Times” debuted on the Australian charts (December 22)

“Good Times” was originally a song by the Easybeats written by Harry Vanda & George Young, which was released as a single in Australia 18 July 1968, and which appeared on their “Vigil” LP with guest vocals by Steve Marriott of Small Faces.

Decades later, to promote the Australian Made festival concert tour held during 1986–1987 in the six state capitals of Australia, featuring prominent local rock acts, INXS and Barnes recorded a cover of The Easybeats’ “Good Times" which was released as a single and used as the theme song for Australian Made.

It also appeared in the Joel Schumacher film “The Lost Boys”.

Barnes later said, "We spent a day and a half in the studio.
Michael Hutchence and myself didn't sleep the whole time we were there. It was a booze and drug-fuelled couple of days."

“Good Times" peaked at #2 on the Australian charts, #1 in New Zealand, #18 in the UK, and also #47 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Click on the link below to watch them do it live:

https://youtu.be/TimxLOW922o

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

23/12/2025

This week in 1973, the David Bowie LP “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars” re-entered the UK Albums Chart at #41 (December 22)

It was Bowie's 1972 breakthrough album, and a real watershed record in his burgeoning career…

The record is a loose concept album based around the character Ziggy Stardust, a fictional androgynous rock star who is sent to Earth as a saviour before an impending apocalyptic disaster.

The title track is about Stardust growing too conceited: "Making love with his ego, Ziggy sucked up into his mind."
Stardust's band, The Spiders From Mars, consequently plan to get revenge on the egotistical front man: "So we bi***ed about his fans, and should we crush his sweet hands?"

Bowie said that the song is "about the ultimate rock superstar destroyed by the fanaticism he creates."

In 1993, Bowie discussed the “look” he was going for:
“The idea was to hit a look somewhere between the Malcolm McDowell thing with the one mascaraed eyelash and insects. It was the era of Wild Boys, by William S. Burroughs ... [It] was a cross between that and Clockwork Orange that really started to put together the shape and the look of what Ziggy and the Spiders were going to become ... Everything had to be infinitely symbolic.”

According to Songfacts, Bowie later said that his Ziggy alter-ego "wouldn't leave me alone for years. That was when it all started to go sour ... My whole personality was affected. It became very dangerous.
I really did have doubts about my sanity..."

The Ziggy Stardust sessions featured the musicians who would later become known as the Spiders from Mars – legendary guitarist Mick Ronson, bassist Trevor Bolder, and drummer Mick Woodmansey.

In 1987, as part of their 20th anniversary, Rolling Stone ranked it #6 on "The 100 Best Albums of the Last Twenty Years".

In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked it #40 on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

In March 2017, the album was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the United States National Recording Preservation Board, which designates it as a sound recording that has had significant cultural, historical, or aesthetic impact in American life.

The album peaked at #2 in Spain, #5 in the UK, #11 in Australia, #59 in Canada, and #75 in the US.
A re-release after Bowie’s death in 2016 saw the album back in the charts, this time peaking at #21 in the US.

The famous album cover shows David Bowie (dressed as Ziggy Stardust) standing outside the furriers, K. West, which was located at 23 Heddon Street, London.

In March 2012, a plaque honoring Ziggy Stardust was installed where the K. West sign once hung, which is the one of the few in the UK dedicated to a fictional character…

Click on the link below to watch a brilliant live performance from 50 years ago:

https://youtu.be/3qrOvBuWJ-c

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

23/12/2025

On this day in 1984, the John Fogerty single “The Old Man Down the Road” debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at #61 (December 22)

The lead single from Fogerty's comeback album, “Centerfield” became Fogerty's only Top 10 hit single as a solo artist, peaking at #10 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and spending three weeks at the #1 spot on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart.

It also went to #10 in Australia, #11 in New Zealand, and #12 in Canada and Austria.

This song was unique in history, as Fogerty was formally charged and taken to court for plagiarizing….himself!

How could this happen?

Well, Saul Zaentz, owner of Fantasy Records claimed that "The Old Man Down the Road" shared the same chorus as “Run Through the Jungle", a song from Fogerty's days with Creedence Clearwater Revival years before. (Fogerty had relinquished copyrights and publishing rights of his Creedence songs to Zaentz and Fantasy, in exchange for release from his contractual obligations to them.)

Zaentz sued (Fantasy, Inc. v. Fogerty) but Fogerty ultimately prevailed when he showed that the two songs were whole, separate and distinct compositions.

Bringing his guitar to the witness stand, he played excerpts from both songs, demonstrating that many songwriters (himself included) have distinctive styles that can make different compositions sound similar to less discerning ears.

Click on the link below to watch the clip:

https://youtu.be/4cwS_db9DtY

, , , , , , , , , ,

23/12/2025

On this day in 1979, the Queen single “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at #58 (December 22)

It went on to become Queen’s first US #1, spending four weeks in the top spot.

The shades-of-Elvis rockabilly style track from “The Game” LP shocked many with its departure from what people considered Queen to be, but hard core fans knew from previous albums that the band always liked to experiment with different musical styles and genres.

Freddie said, “‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love' took me five or ten minutes.
I did that on the guitar, which I can't play for nuts, and in one way it was quite a good thing because I was restricted, knowing only a few chords.
It's a good discipline because I simply had to write within a small framework.
I couldn't work through too many chords and because of that restriction I wrote a good song, I think.”

It also topped the Australian ARIA charts for seven consecutive weeks from 1 March to 12 April 1980, and went to #1 in Canada and the Netherlands, #2 in the UK and New Zealand, #3 in South Africa and Belgium, #5 in Switzerland, and #8 in Norway.

Billboard Magazine described Brian May's guitar playing as being "stunning in its simplicity”, with May wanting to emulate Elvis Presley's longtime guitarist James Burton, and using a Fender Esquire rather than his regular Red Special for the recording session.

Classic video clip too! Click to watch:

https://youtu.be/zO6D_BAuYCI

, , , , , , , , , , ,

23/12/2025

On this day in Aussie Music for the 23rd of December
First Charting Today
* The Single Horror Movie by Skyhooks first charted on this day in 1974

On this day in Aussie Music for the 22nd of December
First Charting Today
* The Single It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'N' Roll) by AC/DC first charted on this day in 1975
* The Single Good Times by Jimmy Barnes first charted on this day in 1986
* The Single Think About Tomorrow Today by The Masters Apprentices first charted on this day in 1969

Send a message to learn more

22/12/2025

On this day in 1983, the Van Halen single “Jump” was released (December 21)

It’s Diamond Dave at his gymnastic best, and Eddie showing off the keyboard skills that won him first place from 1964 to 1967 in the annual piano competition held at Long Beach City College, when he was a just a kid whose parents wanted him to be a classical pianist, rather than the master axe shredder he turned out to be.

The lead single from their album “1984” is Van Halen's most successful single, also charting at #1 in Canada, #2 in Australia and Ireland, and Top 10 in the UK, France, Switzerland, Germany, and Austria.

The song with one of the most recognizable synth hooks in rock was listed by The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum as one of the "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll."

"Jump" was ranked #15 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 1980s, and was nominated at the 27th Annual Grammy Awards (1984) in the "Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal" category.

In 2021, Rolling Stone ranked "Jump" at #177 on their updated list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

The classic clip for “Jump”, featuring a lot of jumping on stage courtesy of David Lee Roth, was nominated for three MTV Video Music Awards, and won "Best Stage Performance" for the video.

Click on the link below to watch it:

https://youtu.be/SwYN7mTi6HM

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

22/12/2025

On this day in 1973, The Elton John LP “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” went to #1 on the UK Albums Chart (December 22)

Elton’s seventh studio LP went all the way to #1 in the US, Australia, Canada, and the UK, #5 in Norway and Italy, #7 in Sweden, #8 in Spain and Denmark, #9 in New Zealand, #22 in Japan, #26 in Finland, #41 in Germany, and #74 in the Netherlands.

The classic double LP has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, and is Elton’s best-selling studio album.

Among the 17 tracks, the album contains the hits "Candle in the Wind", US #1 single "Bennie and the Jets", "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting".

Hard to believe with such great, timeless songs, but Bernie Taupin wrote the lyrics in two and a half weeks, with Elton composing most of the melodies in just three days while staying at the Pink Flamingo Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica.

In 2020, the album was ranked #112 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2003.

In 2025, the album was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry.

Iconic 70s cover art too, by Ian Beck…

Click the link for a classic clip of the title track:

https://youtu.be/RZ3Bb4UsXhU

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

22/12/2025

On this day in 1974, the Doobie Brothers single “Black Water” debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at #75 (December 21)

Patrick Simmons came up with the riff while playing around on the guitar outside the studio in between takes during the recording sessions for the Doobie Brothers' 1973 album “The Captain and Me”.

In completing the song, he says he was inspired by “my childhood imaginings of the South from reading Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer" and also his actual experience of New Orleans, “going down to the French Quarter as often as possible and going into the clubs and listening to Dixieland".

The song went all the way to #1 on the US Billboard charts, and also peaked at #11 in Canada, and #22 in Australia.

"I'd like to hear some funky Dixieland,
Pretty mama, come and take me by the hand."

Click on the link below for a brilliant live clip:

https://youtu.be/m4oZCtfmh44

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

22/12/2025

On this day in 1974, The Rolling Stones LP “It's Only Rock 'n Roll” re-entered the UK Albums Chart at #39 (December 21)

The album re-entered the charts after peaking at #2 the previous month (November 9), and dropping out of the charts the previous week (December 14).

It was the last Rolling Stones album to feature guitarist Mick Taylor.

Taylor allegedly made songwriting contributions to this one, (as he claimed with the previous album “Goats Head Soup”), but on the album jacket, all original songs were credited to Jagger/Richards.

Taylor said in 1997:

"I did have a falling out with Mick Jagger over some songs I felt I should have been credited with co-writing on It's Only Rock 'n Roll.

We were quite close friends and co-operated quite closely on getting that album made.
By that time Mick and Keith weren't really working together as a team so I'd spend a lot of time in the studio."

Jagger grudgingly admitted in a 1995 Rolling Stone interview about "Time Waits for No One" that Taylor "maybe threw in a couple of chords".

Belgian painter Guy Peellaert did the cover art, and also did the cover for Bowie’s “Diamond Dogs” the same year.

“It's Only Rock 'n Roll” marked the Stones' first effort in the producer's chair since “Their Satanic Majesties Request” in 1967, and the first for Jagger and Richards under their pseudonym "The Glimmer Twins".

Ronnie Wood, a long-time acquaintance of the band, began to get closer to the Rolling Stones during the recording sessions after he invited Mick Taylor to play on his debut solo album, “I've Got My Own Album to Do”.

Wood eventually became Taylor’s replacement in the Stones.

The title track, which went on to become a staple of the band’s live set list, was recorded separately from the rest of the album.

The basic rhythm track had been laid down by members of the Faces, including Wood and drummer Kenney Jones, during a jam session with Jagger, David Bowie, and bassist Willie Weeks.

Jagger liked the song so much that he brought the basic track to Richards, who added some guitar overdubs, and after some polishing, it was put on the album as-is.

Taylor, Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman are all featured miming playing the song in sailor suits in the video, but didn’t play on the actual recording!

On the charts, the album went all the way to #1 in the US, #2 in the UK, #3 in Norway and Sweden, #5 in Canada and the Netherlands, #6 in Austria and Italy, #7 in Australia, #9 in Finland, #12 in Germany, and #29 in Japan.

Click on the link below to watch it:

https://youtu.be/JGaBlygm0UY?si=anQc6kmzzoeNEFEB

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

22/12/2025

On this day in 1968, the Rolling Stones LP “Beggars Banquet” debuted on the UK Singles Chart at #9 (December 21)

Brian Jones, the band's founder and early leader, had become increasingly unreliable in the studio due to his drug use, and it was the last Rolling Stones album to be released during his lifetime, though he also contributed to two songs on their next album “Let It Bleed”, which was released after his death.
(Jones did, however, contribute to the group's hit song "Jumpin' Jack Flash", which was part of the same sessions, and released in May 1968.)

Nearly all rhythm and lead guitar parts on “Beggars Banquet” were recorded by Keith Richards, and along with Mick Jagger; the two wrote all but one of the tracks on the album.

As with most albums of the period, frequent collaborator Nicky Hopkins played piano on many of the tracks.

It peaked at #3 in the UK, Australia and Canada, and #5 in the US.

In 2020, it was ranked at #185 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, and in 1999, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Click the link below to watch the first track on the album, the Stones classic “Sympathy for the Devil”:

https://youtu.be/Jwtyn-L-2gQ

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

22/12/2025

On this day in 1991, Queen’s double A-side single “Bohemian Rhapsody”/“These Are the Days of Our Lives” debuted at #1 on the UK Singles Chart (December 21)

Queen’s 1975 masterpiece was released with “These Are the Days of Our Lives” as a double A-side single in Ireland and the UK in the wake of Freddie Mercury's death on 24 November 1991.

The double A-side debuted at #1 on the UK Singles Chart and remained there for five weeks, with the proceeds of the sale of the single going to the Terrence Higgins Trust for AIDS support and prevention.

Reminiscing on the past, Roger Taylor penned “These Are the Days of Our Lives” as Freddie Mercury's health was deteriorating.
As a teenager, Taylor had known Mercury since the late 1960s when they worked together at Kensington Market in London before the two (along with Brian May) founded Queen in 1970.

In a 2011 interview, Roger revealed:

“I was sitting at home in a rather reflective mood and I did know that Freddie was ill, and I think it came out of that slightly melancholic mood.

I guess I was trying to put an optimistic slant on it in a way—those were the days then. And these are the days of our lives—Today is more important than yesterday.”

One of the most momentous songs in rock history, “Bohemian Rhapsody” broke all the rules; it was six minutes long; it had an operatic section; their own record company didn’t even want to release it as a single!

But it went on to be one of the most successful songs in history.

"Bohemian Rhapsody" topped the UK Singles Chart for nine weeks and had sold more than a million copies by the end of January 1976.

In 1991, after Mercury's death, it topped the charts for another five weeks, eventually becoming the UK's third best-selling single of all time.
It is also the only song to reach the UK Christmas #1 twice by the same artist.

It also topped the charts in countries including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and the Netherlands, and sold over six million copies worldwide.

In the US, the song peaked at #9 in 1976, but reached a new peak of #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 after being used in the film “Wayne's World” (1992).

The studio originally wanted to use a Guns N' Roses song for the head banging scene in Wayne’s World, but Mike Myers demanded "Bohemian Rhapsody", even threatening to quit the production unless it was used!

Freddie Mercury died of bronchial pneumonia resulting from AIDS a few months before the film's release, however Freddie allegedly saw the head banging scene before his death, found it hilarious and approved the song for the film's use.

After the success of the song in the movie, a new video was released, interspersing excerpts from the film with footage from the original Queen video, along with some live footage of the band.

Myers was horrified that the record company had mixed clips from Wayne's World with Queen's original video, fearing that this would upset the band.

He said, "they've just whizzed on a Picasso."

He asked the record company to tell Queen that the video was not his idea and that he apologised to them.
The band, though, sent a reply simply saying, "Thank you for using our song."
This astonished Myers, who responded, "Thank you for even letting me touch the hem of your garments!"

The Wayne's World video version of "Bohemian Rhapsody" won Queen its only MTV Video Music Award for "Best Video from a Film".

When remaining members Brian May and Roger Taylor took the stage to accept the award, Brian May was overcome with emotion and said that "Freddie would be tickled."

In the 2018 Queen biopic feature film “Bohemian Rhapsody”, Myers makes a cameo as a fictional record executive who pans the song and refuses to release it as a single, proclaiming that it is too long for radio and that it is not a song that "teenagers can crank up the volume in their car and bang their heads to", a clever reference to the iconic scene in Wayne's World…

Rolling Stone stated that its influence "cannot be overstated, practically inventing the music video seven years before MTV went on the air."

The Guardian named its music video one of the 50 key events in rock music history, helping make videos a critical tool in music marketing.

In 2004, "Bohemian Rhapsody" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

It has appeared in numerous polls of the greatest songs in popular music, including a ranking at #17 on Rolling Stone's list of "the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Mercury's vocal performance was chosen as the greatest in rock history by readers of Rolling Stone.

In December 2018, it became the most streamed song from the 20th century, and it had been downloaded or streamed over 1.6 billion times, and in July 2019, the Queen video for “Bohemian Rhapsody” reached one billion views on YouTube, becoming the first pre-1990 video to reach the milestone…

A true rock classic…

Click on the link below to watch the classic music video:

https://youtu.be/fJ9rUzIMcZQ

Or click to watch “These Are the Days of Our Lives”:

https://youtu.be/oB4K0scMysc?si=NryZaDivwbsmdxI1

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,