Radio 42 North

08/27/2025

FLASHBACK RADIO – AUGUST 27, 2025.

Lionel Richie. Now, there’s a man with an incredible musical
career that goes way back to the 1970’s. Born on June 20, 1949, he
went on to a very successful career as an American singer, songwriter,
record producer and television personality. He first rose to fame in the
1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of the Motown group, the
Commodores. Writing and recording the hit singles “Easy”, “Sail On”,
Three Times A Lady” and “Still”. He left the group in 1980.

That same year, Lionel wrote and produced the US Billboard Hot
100 number one single “Lady” for Kenny Rogers. In 1981, Richie wrote
and produced the single “Endless Love” which he recorded as a duet
with Diana Ross. It remains among the top 20 best-selling singles of
all time, and the biggest career hit for both artists. In 1982, he officially
launched his solo career with the album “Lionel Ritchie” which sold over
four million copies and released the singles “You Are”, “My Love” and
the number one single “Truly”.

Richie’s second album, “Can’t Slow Down” (1983), reached #1 on
Billboard’s 200 chart. It sold over 20 million copies worldwide making
it one of the best-selling albums of all time. It showcased the number one
singles, “All Night Long” and “Hello”. Lionel then co-wrote the 1985 charity
single, “We Are the World” with Michael Jackson which went on to sell over
20 million copies. His next Album, “Dancing on The Ceiling” contained the
number one hits “Say You, Say Me” and “Dancing on the Ceiling”.

From 1986 to 1990, Lionel took a break from recording and has
since then released seven studio albums. He also joined the American
Idol singing competition to serve as a judge starting from its sixteenth
season in 2018 to the present.

During his solo career, Richie became one of the most successful
balladeers of the 1980’s and has sold over 100 million records world-
wide. This has made him one of the most successful best-selling artists
of all time. Richie has won four Grammy Awards including “Song of The
Year” for “We Are the World” and “Album of the Year” for “Can’t Slow
Down”. “Endless Love” was also nominated for an Academy Award.

08/17/2025

08/14/2025

FLASHBACK RADIO – AUGUST 13, 2025.

“We’re so sorry, ‘Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey”, but the kettle is on
the boil, and we’re so easily led away”. This song turned out to be Paul
and Linda McCartney’s very first #1 song after the Beatles broke up. It
was taken from the album, “Ram”, a Gold Record he shared with his wife,
Linda, the co-writer, after it reached #1 on September 4, 1971.

Such were the opening words to ‘Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey”.
They were composed of many unfinished song fragments in a manner
that were stitched together by Norwegian engineer Eirik Wangberg. It
was somewhat similar to the medleys used in the Beatles last album
together in 1969 called “Abbey Road”. However, these orchestrated
arrangements were recorded in New York at A&R Recording by the
Beatles long-term Producer George Martin.

After that was completed, and before, it was released, the album
project was moved to Los Angeles where Wangberg added several
thunderstorm and environmental sound effects. McCartney also
invited Wangberg to “mix and sequence the “Ram” Album in any way
he saw fit”.

McCartney often mentioned that “Uncle Albert” was based on his
“Uncle”. As he has put it, “He’s someone I recall fondly, and when the
song was coming together; it was like a nostalgia thing”. McCartney
also stated that “Uncle Albert Kendall” was a lot of fun. It also led to
McCartney winning the “Grammy Award for Best Arrangement
Accompanying Vocalists in 1971 for the song. It was also certified
Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales over
One million copies.

Some critics, like Jon Landau of Rolling Stone Magazine, gave
“Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” a negative review, saying the song “is
a piece with so many changes it never seems to come down”. However,
in a contemporary retrospective 2012 Pitchfork review, “Uncle Albert/
Admiral Halsey is not only Ram’s centerpiece, but also clearly one of
McCartney’s five greatest solo songs.

08/09/2025

07/23/2025

FLASHBACK RADIO - JULY 23, 2025.

It’s hard to believe, but it’s been 3 months and 69 years since Elvis Presley’s first hit record, “Heartbreak Hotel” held down the top spot for 8 consecutive weeks in a row. But, before we go any further, let me tell you that the very first #1 hit record on Billboard’s Hot 100 Hits on July 9, 1955, was held by Bill Hailey and His Comets. It was “(We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock” which also held down the top spot for 8 weeks.

The Comets were followed by Mitch Miller and “The Yellow Rose of Texas” which lasted 6 weeks on top of Billboard before being pushed out
by the smooth singing Four Aces. On October 8th, in 1955, they held down the top spot for a total of two weeks with their “Love Is a Many Splendored Thing”. After that, Roger Williams provided the first instrumental number of the rock era with his version of “Autumn Leaves”, which held down the top spot for 4 weeks.

Yikes! Even though it seems like a hundred years ago, Tennessee Ernie Ford and his one big number one hit, “Sixteen Tons”, was next on Billboard’s Hott 100. It hit the number one spot for 7 weeks in a row from the last week of November right through to mid-January 1956. As quoted in the Billboard Book of “Number One Hits”, ‘Capital Records’ first number one single of the “rock era” was recorded by that little ole pea-picker, ‘Ernie Ford’. “Imagine that?”

Also, hitting the charts later in January was Dean Martin with his smooth hit, “Memories Are Made of This”. It managed to spend 5 weeks at the top of Billboard’s Hot 100 in January and February of 1956. Kay Starr followed up with her “Rock and Roll Waltz” for a week at the top in the month of February.

But the really big star to top the charts three weeks into April and throughout May and so forth for so many other months back then was the King himself, Elvis Presley. At the time he was my hero and star as he was for many other fans. The only other major obstacle that came along was a couple of years later in early 1964. It was a four-man British group you may have heard of called the Beatles.

Let’s not forget, nothing was ever the same after that.

07/17/2025

FLASHBACK RADIO - JULY 15, 2025.

Simply Red. Now there’s a simple name for an English Group formed in England back in the mid-80’s.
Their lead singer, Mick Hucknall, was born in Manchester, England on June 8, 1960. It was only natural that
“Cathy’s Clown” was number one in America on the very same day that Mick was born. His father was a barber.
Sadly, his mother left the family when he was only two years old.

So, Mick was raised by his Aunt Nellie and, in turn, her four daughters. One of Aunt Nellie’s daughters,
Sheila, took young four-year old Mick to see “A Hard Day’s Night” Movie in 1964. From that day on, he truly
became a self-described Beatles fanatic.

By the time he was twelve, he bought is his first ‘single, “Doobedood Noobe” by Diana Ross. Surprisingly,
fifteen years later, she would ask himto write a song for her. Mick came up a much shorter title: “Shine”. His
strongest influences were the sounds of Motown. At the age of 14, Mick became a club DJ in Manchester where
he played James Brown and reggae music by bands such as Big Youth and Burning Spear.

When he was 17, Mick formed a band called “The Frantic Elevators” that combined ‘punk’ with R&B.
However, when a local talent booker heard Mick’s “voice” at a gig in Manchester, he couldn’t believe what “an
incredible voice, he had”. The Frantic Elevators stayed together for another three years.

He was often referred to as their “blue-eyed soul” singer but nicknamed “Red” because of his red hair.
His back-up group included Fritz McIntyre and Tim Kellett (keyboards), Sylvan Richardson (guitar), Tony Bowers (bass)
and Chris Joyce (drums).

Now, surprisingly, their very first single, “Holding Back the Years”, written by Hucknall and Neil Moss, went
all the way to number 1 and lasted for 23 weeks on the Billboard’s Hot 100 Charts. However, their next three releases,
“Money’s Too Tight (To Mention)”, “The Right Thing” and “It’s Only Love” never broke the top 27 on the charts. But, their
fifth release, “If You Don’t Know Me by Now” written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff also hit the top of the Charts in the
summer of 1972 and remained 22 weeks on the Hot 100 Charts.

In the scheme of things, Simply Red had a total of 9 songs released that hit the Billboard Charts. Two of these
songs didn’t break the Hot 100. But, of the other 7 songs, five reached the top 30 and two hit #1 in the summers of 1986
and 1989. Now, that’s quite a record for a British band that spent much of its time in Great Britain over the years but still
managed to top the Hot 100 Charts twice in three years.

07/14/2025

😀

07/12/2025

From Environment Canada.⚡️☔️
12:25 PM EDT Saturday 12 July 2025

Conditions are favourable for the development of severe thunderstorms that may be capable of producing strong wind gusts.

What:
Severe wind gusts up to 90 km/h.
Heavy downpours.

When:
This afternoon into this evening.

Local utility outages are possible.

When thunder roars, go indoors! Lightning kills and injures Canadians every year.

Emergency Management Ontario recommends that you take cover immediately if threatening weather approaches.

Severe thunderstorm watches are issued when conditions are favourable for the development of thunderstorms capable of producing damaging hail, wind or rain.

Please continue to monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada. To report severe weather, send an email to [email protected] or post reports on X using .

For more information: ontario.ca/page/be-prepared-emergency.

In effect for:
Windsor - Leamington - Essex County

07/11/2025

𝚁𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚘𝟺𝟸𝙽𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑 𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚜 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙸𝚗 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚄𝚂𝙰 𝚝𝚘 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚂𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚍𝚊𝚢 𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚘𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚆𝚎𝚍𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚍𝚊𝚢 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚞𝚙.
𝙹𝚘𝚒𝚗 𝙲𝚑𝚞𝚌𝚔 𝚂𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚜 𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚃𝚘𝚙 𝟺𝟶 𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚄𝚂𝙰 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚊 𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚊𝚍𝚌𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚔 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚞𝚕𝚊𝚛 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚊𝚌𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙱𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚋𝚘𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚜. 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚔𝚜 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚏𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚔 𝚘𝚏 𝙹𝚞𝚕𝚢 𝟷𝟷, 𝟷𝟿𝟽𝟼.
𝙻𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚂𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚍𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝟸𝚙𝚖 𝚝𝚒𝚕 𝟻𝚙𝚖 (𝚎𝚜𝚝) 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚆𝚎𝚍𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚍𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝟸𝚊𝚖 𝚝𝚒𝚕 𝟻𝚊𝚖 (𝚎𝚜𝚝) 𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝙷𝙸𝚃𝚂 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖.
𝚆𝚎𝚕𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝙲𝚑𝚞𝚌𝚔!

07/09/2025

FLASHBACK RADIO - JULY 9, 2025.

Sometimes it’s hard to figure out just how some writers go about
writing their hit songs. Take for instance how a 15-year-old nineth grade
student by the name of Lou Christie developed a friendship with a thirty-year-old
song-writing partner named Twyla Herbert. He first met Twyla at an audition
in the basement of a church in his hometown of Glen Willard, Pennsylvania.

Although she was very flamboyant with her gypsy red hair, they hit
it off immediately. As for Lou Christie, he was born Lugee Geno Sacco
on February 19, 1943. He was raised in an Italian Polish family. He made
his solo performing debut in the first grade, singing “Away in the Manger”
at St. Joseph’s in a school play.

When he first met Twyla, she needed a singer for her group, the
Classics. He recorded “Close Your Eyes” with them in 1959. A year
later, he sought out the arranger for the Pittsburgh-based Skyliners
who were well known for “Since I Don’t Have You”. Lennie Martin
has “Lugee” and Amy sing backing vocals for one of his vocalists.
Then he cut a record for his own group called “Lugee and the Lions”.

The name “Lou Christie” was an unexpected and disappointing
surprise for Lugee-Sacco who first learned about it when it was listed on
his first single for C&C Records called “The Gypsy Cried”. Lou had
been working on a list of names when the company went ahead and
gave him one without telling him.

On a happier note, “The Gypsy Cried”, featuring Lou’s signature
falsetto voice, was a local hit in Pittsburgh when the New York-base
Roulette Records picked it up and put it on the record without telling him.
It did establish Christie nationally and it was the first song written by Lou
and Twyla.

Lou’s next hit, “Two Faces Have I”, went up to #6 on The Hot 100
and spent a healthy 15 weeks on the Hot 100. While his next three hits
bombed, Lou’s Christmas time release on December 25, 1965 spent 15
weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. His number one hit, “Lightning Strikes”
was Lou’s favorite song that many of us still remember.

Whenever his hits are played on the airwaves, I’m sure to jack up the
volume. However, I must say I was saddened to hear that Lou Christie just
passed away earlier this month on June 18, 2025. He was 82 years old.

07/05/2025