Radio 42 North

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

07/05/2025

Catchin’ some on next weekend with my dad Rick Latam. We are playing @ Westview Tavern Friday, July 11th and Saturday, July 12th, 9pm-1am. Always a highlight of the summer to spend a weekend unwinding on the island.🤘🏽🌞🍻

07/03/2025

Flashback Radio – July 2, 2025

Born Marven Lee Aday on September 27, 1947, in Dallas,
Texas. He was loved and known in his prime simply as Meat Loaf.
With worldwide sales being more than 30 million copies, his 1977
release of “Bat Out of Hell” is by far one of the most enduring
albums of the rock era.

Spending 82 weeks on Billboard may seem impressive but it
pales in comparison to the 450 plus-week stay it had on the
British album charts. That makes it the longest charting album
of all time.

Still, Meat Loaf found it difficult to follow up this incredible
solo debut effort. It also was difficult for Meat Loaf as he ended
up having a falling out with his longtime friend and songwriter
Jim Steinman. Future albums produced by Tom Dowd, Frank
Farian and others did not do as well and Meat Loaf ended up
facing bankruptcy and the loss of his voice for a while.

Call it luck or a strange change in 1984 at the Power Station,
but Meat Loaf ran into his old mate Jim Steinman who was now
producing Bonnie Tyler. As Steinman recalled, “I hadn’t seen him
in four years and it was like nothing happened”. They agreed to do
another album. Meat Loaf was recording the album “Bad Attitude”
at the time but he and Steinman agreed to work together again and
do a follow-up to the “Bat”.

Meat Loaf approached his record labels (Arista in the U.K.
and RCA in the U.S.) about the idea but found no interest. However,
Meat Loaf was determined to reunite with Steinman and asked for his
release. That meant making one more album released in Britain
called “Meat Loaf Live”. However, it was released in the U.S.

With all this going on, Meat Loaf was signed to MCA in
The U.S. and with Virgin for the rest of the world for two and
a half years before he walked into a studio to record “Bat Out
of Hell II: Back into Hell”. However, he kept extra busy by playing
over 200 dates a year before all work stopped in 1991.

Meat Loaf’s greatest hit was by far his powerfully written song
by Jim Steinman called “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)”.
It held down the top spot on Billboard Magazine for five weeks in a row
from November 6,1993 until December 11, 1993. Edited down from its
12-minute running time on the Album, to just 5:08, it was truly a masterpiece
or Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman. Amen.

07/02/2025

From Environment Canada.⚡️☔️

1:21 PM EDT Wednesday 2 July 2025
In effect for:
Windsor - Leamington - Essex County

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

What:
Wind gusts of 90 km/h.
Hail up to 3 cm.

When:
This afternoon and evening.

Additional information:
Isolated thunderstorms are expected to develop this afternoon and track over the area. These thunderstorms are expected to move east of the area later this evening.

Local utility outages are possible.

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

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

Strong wind gusts can damage trees, buildings and overturn vehicles.

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