The exhaust is just now dissipating from the noisy, wasteful and unnecessary Freedom 250 Grand Prix rattling the museums on the National Mall. So we begin Capital Radio with several songs about racing and the “Race Car Ya Yas.”
We paid tribute to ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard, who died a wee ago at 77, and also noted the passing of Chicago soul singer Ruby Andrews, Teardrop Explodes drummer Gary Dwyer and actress and sometime pop star Shelley Fabares, who just died Saturday at 82.
It was the birthday of several early rock ’n’ roll influences — Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup, Wynonie Harris and Jackie Brentson. Also that of dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson, Ronee Blakley and two founding members of Quicksilver Messenger Service.
But we spent most the time counting down the Top 40 of “The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made” from the 1989 book “The Heart of Rock and Roll” by Dave Marsh, who died Aug. 14 at 76. It included two from two each from the Four Tops, The Beatles, Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye — who took the top spot. [Here’s a thing I wrote about Marsh for my Substack].
Here’s the archived show (in three parts). The setlist follows.
Capital Radio. August 24, 2026. 1 – 4:33 p.m. www.cygnusradio.com
- “Capital Radio Two,” The Clash
- “The Distance,” Cake
- “The Race is On,” George Jones
- “The Race is On,” The Chamber Strings
- “Go Speed Racer Go,” Sponge
- “Race with the Devil,” Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps
- “Racing to the End,” Bob Mould
- “Race Car Ya Yes,” Cake
- “La Grange,” ZZ Top
- “Cheap Sunglasses,” ZZ Top
- “Tush,” ZZ Top
- “Just Loving You,” Ruby Andrews
- “Reward,” The Teardrop Explodes
- “Johnny Angel,” Shelley Fabares
- “Mean Ol’ Frisco Blues,” Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup
- “Good Rockin’ Tonight,” Wynonie Harris
- “Rocket 88,” Jackie Brentson
- “If You Wanna Be Happy,” Jimmy Soul
- “Time Come” Linton Kwesi Johnson
- “Pride of Man,” Quicksilver Messenger Service
- “Tapedeck in his Tractor,” Ronee Blakley
- “I Can See for Miles,” The Who
PART II
- “(Oh) Pretty Woman,” Roy Orbison
- “She Loves You,” The Beatles
- “Bernadette,” Four Tops
- “Since I Don’t Have You,” The Skyliners
- “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long,” Otis Redding
- “Stay,” Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs
- “That’ll Be the Day,” Buddy Holly & the Crickets
- “A Change is Gonna Come,” Sam Cooke
- “When a Man Loves a Woman,” Percy Sledge
- “There Goes My Baby,” The Drifters
- “Ticket to Ride,” The Beatles
- “Jump,” Van Halen
- “My Girl,” Temptations
- “Who’ll Stop the Rain,” Creedence Clearwater Revival
- “What’s Going On,” Marvin Gaye
- “Born to Run,” Bruce Springsteen
- “Hold On, I’m Comin,’ “ Sam & Dave
- “Johnny (Baby Please Come Home),” Darlene Love
- “Da Doo Run Run,” The Crystals
- “Be My Baby,” The Ronettes
- “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” Aretha Franklin
- “Only the Lonely,” Roy Orbison
- “Everyday People,” Sly & The Family Stone
- “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” Otis Redding
- “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” Jerry Lee Lewis
- “Shake, Rattle and Roll,” Big Joe Turner
- “Mystery Train,” Elvis Presley
- “Louie Louie,” The Kingsmen
PART III
- “Nowhere to Run,” Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
- “Tutti Frutti,” Little Richard
- “Respect,” Aretha Franklin
- “Like a Rolling Stone,” Bob Dylan
- “(I Can’t Get No Satisfaction,” The Rolling Stones
- “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin,’ “ The Righteous Brothers
- “Reach Out (I’ll Be There),” Four Tops
- “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag,” James Brown
- “Johnny B. Goode,” Chuck Berry
- “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” Marvin Gaye
Capital Radio returns Aug. 31 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.