The anniversary of man stepping on the moon, on a summer afternoon 57 years ago meant more than a dozen songs about space, Major Tom and all things lunar. But it was also the 61st anniversary of the release of Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” so this week’s Capital Radio began with a couple of variations on it.
We paid tribute to Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon, who died Friday at 89, and rocker Jennifer Finch of L7 who died Saturday at 59.
It was the birthday of Jem Finer of The Pogues, Carlos Santana, John Lodge of the Moody Blues, Buddy Knox and punk drummers Tobi Fail of Bikini Kill and Steve Cook of the Sex Pistols.
Prolific country songwriter Cindy Walker was also born on this day, so we heard some examples, from Ray Charles, Roy Orbison and The Byrds, among others. It was also the birthday for novelist Cormac McCarthy, so we had a half dozen songs with the same titles as his novels, culminating with “No Country for Old Men” by Chuck D with John Densmore of The Doors.
Here’s the archived show, in three parts; the setlist follows.
Capital Radio July 20, 2026 1 – 4:30 p.m. www.cygnusradio.com
- “Capital Radio Two,” The Clash
- “Like a Rolling Stone [drums and organ master],” Bob Dylan
- “Come Una Pietra Scalciata (Like a Rolling Stone),” Articolo 31
- “Buzz Buzz A-Diddle-It,” Freddy Cannon
- “Abigail Beecher,” Freddy Cannon
- “Action,” Freddy Cannon
- “Everglade,” L7
- “Garbage Truck,” L7
- “Pretend We’re Dead,” L7
- “Sunnyside of the Street,” The Pogues
- “Misty Morning, Albert Bridge,” The Pogues
- “Fiesta,” The Pogues
- “Ride My See Saw,” The Moody Blues
- “Black Magic Woman [Gypsy Queen],” Santana
- “Party Doll,” Buddy Knox
- “Rebel Girl,” Bikini Girl
- “Pretty Vacant,” Sex Pistols
- “Our Day Will Come,” Ruby and the Romantics
- “Building Steam with a Grain of Salt,” DJ Shadow
PART II
- “Guantanamera,” Sandpipers
- “Bubbles in My Beer,” The Pine Valley Cosmonauts
- “Distant Drums,” Roy Orbison
- “Blue Canadian Rockies,” The Byrds
- “You Don’t Know Me,” Ray. Charles
- “In the Misty Moonlight,” Dean Martin
- “Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream),” Roy Orbison
- “The Road,” Jon and Vangelis
- “The Passenger,” Iggy Pop
- “The Crossing,” Willie Nile
- “Blood Meridian,” Jenny Queen
- “All the Pretty Horses,” Friends of Dean Martinez
- “All the Tired Horses,” Bob Dylan
- “No Country for Old Men,” Chuck D & John Densmore
- “Man on the Moon,” R.E.M.
- “Walking on the Moon,” The Police
PART III
- “Moon Walk,” Electric Frankenstein
- “The Whole of the Moon,” The Waterboys
- “Sail to the Moon (Brush the Cobwebs Out of the Sky),” Radiohead
- “Floating in Space,” The Apples in Stereo
- “Lost in Space,” Aimee Mann
- “Mister Spaceman,” The Holy Modal Rounders
- “I’m the Urban Spaceman,” Bonzo Dog Band
- “Mr. Spaceman,” The Byrds
- “Space Shuttle,” Gil Scott-Heron
- “Space Oddity,” The Langley Schools
- “Ashes to Ashes,” David Bowie
- “Major Tom (Coming Home,” Peter Schilling
Capital Radio returns July 27 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.