Reaching the last month of a fraught year brings deeper meaning to the Hag’s “If We Make It Through December,” which brought another dozen and a half songs about the 12th month and the impending winter to today’s Capital Radio (without hearing nary a jingle bell).
Plus there was more room this week for further tributes to the recently departed Jimmy Cliff and Mani of the Stone Roses, and the passing of lesser known musicians from Walter Steding and Jellybean Johnson to both Kessler Twins. And to honor playwright Tom Stoppard, three songs fthat decorated his 2006 play “Rock and Roll.”
Then there were plenty of birthdays for Dec. 1 — from Jaco Pastorius to Julee Cruise, Gilbert O’Sullivan to Billy Paul. Janelle Monáe turned 40; Doors drummer John Densmore 81. His work on “The End” also provided the episode’s.
Here’s a link to the whole show; the setlist follows:
Capital Radio December 1, 2025 1 – 4:33 p.m. www.cygnusradio.com
- “Capital Radio Two,” The Clash
- “If We Make It Through December,” Merle Haggard
- “December,” The Waterboys
- “December,” The Green Apple Sea
- “Flowers in December,” Mazzy Star
- “December Dark,” Matthew Sweet
- “Grey December,” Chet Baker
- “December,” Teenage Fanclub
- “Last Month of the Year,” The Staple Singers
- “If We Make It Through December,” Dean and Britta and Sonic Boom
- “Fall Breaks and Back to Winter (W. Woodpecker Symphony),” The Beach Boys
- “Winter in the Hamptons,” Josh Rouse
- “Winter,” The Rolling Stones
- “Valley Winter Song,” Fountains of Wayne
- “Winter Song,” Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson
- “I Felt the Chill Before the Winter,” Elvis Costello
- “Cold Cold Winter,” The Pixies Three
- “Midwest Winters,” Bradley Wik and the Charlatans
- “Winter A Go-Go,” Yo La Tengo
- “Winter in America,” Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson
- “Vietnam,” Jimmy Cliff
- “Rise Up,” Jimmy Cliff
- “Kowalski,” Primal Scream
- “Elephant Stone,” The Stone Roses
- “She Told Me Lies,” The Chesterfield Kings
- “I (Who Have Nothing),” Terry Knight and the Pack
- “This Girl is In Love with You,” Kessler Twins
- “Rooms,” Jim Carroll
- “Jungle Love,” The Time
- “Black Cat,” Janet Jackson
- “Golden Hair,” Syd Barrett
- “Interstellar Overdrive,” Pink Floyd
- “You Got Me Rocking,” Rolling Stones
- “Birdland,” Weather Report
- “Coyote,” Joni Mitchell
- “All American Alien Boy,” Ian Hunter
- “See You When I Git There,” Lou Rawls
- “Let ‘Em In,” Billy Paul
- “Falling,” Julee Cruise
- “Get Down,” Gilbert O’Sullivan
- “Enemy Gene,” Of Montreal featuring Janelle Monáe
- “Hell You Talmbout (Live),” David Byrne
- “E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence),” Blue Oyster Cult
- “Let There Be Drums,” Sandy Nelson
- “The End,” The Doors
Capital Radio returns Dec. 8 at 1 p.m. ET until after 4 on www.cygnusradio.com, where this and other recent shows are posted. The show can also be heard via the cygnusradio.com app, available free at iTunes or GooglePlay. Older shows are available at Substack.com/@rogercatlin.