The end of August isn’t the technical end of summer, but the impending September does seem to emphasize the end of the season, and so it was explored in the first hour of the Aug. 31 Capital Radio with songs from the Doors to the New York Dolls.
The death of Dolly Parton last week at 80 meant 10 songs from across her career, from her first hit with Porter Wagoner to her first album to one of her No. 1 pop hits. But we settled largely on songs from her Trio sessions with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris.
There were tributes, too, to other artists who died in recent weeks, including Tim Curry, Motown songwriter Janie branford, R&B star Latimore, the singers and TV personalities Jaye P. Morgan and Hayden Panettiere, and David Fair from Half Japanese.
It was also the 81st birthday of Van Morrison, Gerard Love of Teenage Fanclub turned 59. Rick Roberts of the Flying Burrito Brothers hit 77. And Gina Schock of The Go-Go’s and Glenn Tillbrook of Squeeze were both turning 59. Also born this day: Jerry Allison, Wilton Felder and Bob Welch.
Here’s the archived show (in three parts); the setlist follows:
Capital Radio August 31, 2026. 1 p.m. – 4:26 p.m. www.cygnusradio.com
- “Washington, DC,” The Magnetic Fields
- “Summer’s Almost Gone,” The Doors
- “The Last Day of Summer,” The Cure
- “Last Day of Summer,” Kirsty MacColl
- “End of the Summer,” New York Dolls
- “Summer Days,” Bob Dylan
- “Summer’s End,” John Prine
- “The End of the Summer,” Frank Black
- “Nightswimming,” R.E.M.
- “Summer’s Over,” The Peanut Gallery
- “Summer is Over,” Dusty Springfield
- “The Other Side of Summer,” Elvis Costello
- “Summer’s Gone,” The Kinks
- “All Summer Long,” The Beach Boys
- “Footprints,” Squeeze
- “Summer Days, Summer Nights,” Street Corner Society
- “See You In September,” The Happenings
- “The Last Thing on My Mind,” Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton
PART II
- “Something Fishy,” Dolly Parton
- “Down from Dover,” Dolly Parton
- “Islands in the Stream,” Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers
- “Where Do the Children Play,” Dolly Parton
- “After the Gold Rush,” Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris
- “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind,” Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris
- “Farther Along,” Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris
- “Wildflowers,” Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris
- “Both Sides Now,” Dolly Parton, Judy Collins and Rhonda Vincent
- “Money,” Barrett Strong
- “Your Old Stand By,” Mary Welles
- “Too Busy Thinking About My Baby,” Marvin Gaye
- “Let’s Straighten It Out,” Latimore
- “Can’t Hide Love,” Jaye P. Morgan
- “Love Like Mine,” Hayden Panettiere
- “Sweet Transvestite,” Tim Curry
- “I Heard Her Call My Name,” Half Japanese
PART III
- “Here Comes the Night,” Them
- “Wild Night,” Van Morrison
- “Wonderful Remark,” Van Morrison
- “Down to Joy,” Van Morrison
- “I Want You Back,” The Jackson 5
- “(No Matter How High I Get) I’ll Still Be Looking Up to You,” Wilton Felder with Bobby Womack & Altrinna Grayson
- “Ain’t That Enough,” Teenage Fanclub
- “Peggy Sue,” Buddy Holly
- “Wild Child,” Ivan
- “We Got the Beat,” The Go-Go’s
- “Colorado,” Flying Burrito Brothers
- “Up the Junction [demo],” Glenn Tilbrook
- “Hackensack,” Glenn Tilbrook
Capital Radio returns Sept. 7 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.