Mother’s Day sentiment lingers into Monday’s Capital Radio show, with 18 songs about matriarchs from John Lennon to Mott the Hoople to Ozzy Osborne.
But Eric Burdon of the Animals and briefly with War, was turning 85, so we heard a lot from him. But there was even more from the American songwriter of last century, Irving Berlin, with his classics performed by an array of artists from Ray Charles to They Might Be Giants, Sonny Rollins, Frank Zappa and Leonard Cohen. And we didn’t even play his most popular song (“White Christmas”) due to being out of season. He was born this day in 1888 and lived to 101.
Birthdays were also noted for Butch Trucks, Salvador Dali and Carla Bley, among others. But there was time to remember the death 45 years ago today of reggae giant Bob Marley (and the release that same day of Kraftwwerk’s “Computer World”).
Here is the archived show (in three parts); the setlist follows.
Capital Radio. May 11, 2026. 1 – 4:22 p.m. www.cygnusradio.com
- “Capital Radio Two,” The Clash
- “Mother [outtake],” John Lennon
- “Every Mother’s Son,” J Mascis
- “She’s Good Enough to Be Your Baby’s Mother and She’s Good Enough to Vote With You,” Anna Chandler
- “Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?” The Rolling Stones
- “I Wish I Was Your Mother,” Mott the Hoople
- “I Am My Mother,” Wilco
- “Your Mother Should Know,” The Beatles
- “Motherless Children,” Rosanne Cash
- “Send a Picture of Mother,” Johnny Cash
- “Mama Tried [live],” The Old 97’s
- “Mother of Muses,” Bob Dylan
- “I Want to Be the Boy to Warm Your Mother’s Heart,” The White Stripes
- “Mother, Please!, (I’d Rather Do It Myself),” Jo Ann Campbell
- “Mother and Child Reunion,” Paul Simon
- “Super Mama,” The Pinker Tones
- “As My Mother Lay Lying,” Jonathan Richman
- “Goodbye to the Mother and the Cover,” Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
- “Mama, I’m Coming Home,” Ozzy Osbourne
PART II
- “Around and Around,” The Animals
- “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” The Animals
- “We Gotta Get Out of This Place,” The Animals
- “It’s My Life,” The Animals
- “Don’t Bring Me Down,” The Animals
- “When I Was Young,” Eric Burdon & The Animals
- “San Franciscan Nights,” Eric Burdon & The Animals
- “Spill the Wine,” Eric Burden & War
- “Gotta Serve Somebody,” Eric Burdon
- “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” Ray Charles
- “Steppin’ Out with My Baby,” Tony Bennett
- “Cheek to Cheek,” Fred Astaire
- “Lazy,” They Might Be Giants
- “How Deep is the Ocean?” Ruby and the Romantics
- “Blue Skies,” Maxine Sullivan
- “What’ll I Do,” Bob Dylan
PART III
- “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” Sonny Rollins
- “Putting’ on the Ritz,” Terry Snyder
- “(Tropical) Heat Wave,” James White & The Blacks
- “Let’s Face the Music and Dance,” Frank Sinatra
- “God Bless America,” Charles Bradley
- “God Bless America [live],” Frank Zappa & The Mothers
- “Always,” Leonard Cohen
- “Hot ‘Lanta [live]” The Allman Brothers Band
- “Can’t Get My Motor to Start,” Nick Mason and Carla Bley
- “Salvador Dali,” Jonathan Richman
- “Just Another Onionhead / Da Da Dali,” Todd Rundgren
- “In the Jailhouse Now,” The Soggy Bottom
- “So Much Trouble in the World,” Bob Marley & The Wailers
- “Is This Love,” Bob Marley & The Wailers
- “Could You Be Loved,” Bob Marley & The Wailers
- “Computer World,” Kraftwerk
Capital Radio returns May 18 at 1 p.m. EDT until after 4 on www.cygnusradio.com. The show can also be heard via the cygnusradio.com app, available free at iTunes or GooglePlay. Recent shows are available on demand at cygnusradio.com. Older shows are posted at Substack.com/@rogercatlin.