It was the 74th birthday of Stevie Wonder that dominated the show today, which had a lot of representation from my hometown of Detroit, as it happens. Also born this day in 1943 was Motown hitmaker Mary Wells, songwriter and Aretha’s sister Carolyn Franklin (in 1944). In addition, we paid tribute to the last surviving member of MC5, drummer Dennis Thompson, who died last week at 75.
Another drumming Thompson — Paul of the UK — was turning 73 today; we played some of the tracks he did with Roxy Music. We also celebrated the birthdays of jazz man Gil Evans (born this day in 1912), Fleetwood Mac’s Danny Kirwan (1950), teen ace Ritchie Valens (1941), jazz singer Maxine Sullivan (1911) and vocal arranger Ken Darby (1909), heard as the voice of the mayor of Munchkinland.
The end of the show had a set in memory of influential producer Steve Albini who died last week at 61, with loud and soft work from Big Black, Pixies, Nirvana, Jon Spencer, PJ Harvey, Breeders and Joanna Newsom — some of the scores of artists he aided in the studio.
Here’s a link to the whole show; the setlist follows.
Capital Radio May 13, 2024 1 – 4:30 p.m. www.cygnusradio.com
- “Capital Radio Two,” The Clash
- “Where Flamingos Fly,” Gil Evans
- “Little Wing [live],” Sting and Gil Evans
- “Albatross,” Fleetwood Mac
- “Jigsaw Puzzle Blues,” Fleetwood Mac
- “Tell Me All the Things You Do,” Fleetwood Mac
- “Child of Mine,” Fleetwood Mac
- “Bare Trees,” Fleetwood Mac
- “Lovely Days,” Danny Kirwan
- “If You Want Me,” Carolyn Franklin
- “Angel,” Aretha Franklin
- “Ain’t No Way,” Aretha Franklin
- “Ain’t Nobody (Gonna Turn Me Around),” Aretha Franklin
- “Come On, Let’s Go,” Ritchie Valens
- “La Bamba,” Ritchie Valens
- “Mayor of Munchkinland,” Wizard of Oz soundtrack
- “Virginia Plain,” Roxy Music
- “All I Want is You,” Roxy Music
- “Both Ends Burning,” Roxy Music
- “Love is the Drug,” Roxy Music
- “You Beat Me to the Punch,” Mary Wells
- “Have a Little Patience (and Wait),” Mary Wells and the Supremes
- “Never Give a Man the World,” Mary Wells
- “What’s the Matter with You Baby,” Marvin Gaye & Mary Wells
- “I Can Only Give You Everything,” MC5
- “I Just Don’t Know,” MC5
- “Ramblin’ Rose [live],” MC5
- “Fingertips Pt. 1 & 2,” Little Stevie Wonder
- “Castles in the Sand,” Little Stevie Wonder
- “Blowin’ in the Wind,” Stevie Wonder
- “I Was Made to Love Her,” Stevie Wonder
- “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours,” Stevie Wonder
- “Uptight (Everything’s Alright),” Stevie Wonder
- “Until You Come Back to Me,” Stevie Wonder
- “If It’s Magic,” Stevie Wonder
- “You Haven’t Done Nothin,’ “ Stevie Wonder
- “Living for the City,” Stevie Wonder
- “All I Do,” Stevie Wonder
- “Kerosene,” Big Black
- “Where Is My Mind?” Pixies
- “Gigantic,” Pixies
- “Serve the Servants,” Nirvana
- “Dumb,” Nirvana
- “Magical Colors,” The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
- “Rid of Me,” PJ Harvey
- “Happiness is a Warm Gun,” The Breeders
- “Cosmia,” Joanna Newsom
- “Blue Skies,” Maxine Sullivan
Capital Radio returns May 20 at 1 p.m. EDT on www.cygnusradio.com, where this and past shows are archived. Also available on the free cygnusradio.com app, available at iTunes or GooglePlay.