The "Insane World Of Mike Sain" airs every Wednesday at 9:00 AM Eastern Time on WPON-AM 1460 Detroit. Today's show featured a variety of Michigan-based bands and artists ranging from the very famous and highly acclaimed to the obscure whose styles range from soul/R&B to garage band hard rock. All of today's featured artists recorded primarily for labels other than Motown.
Note: Many of the songs listed below are included on the CD, Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968, and also on the hard-to-find CDs, "Michigan Memories, Vol. 1" and "Michigan Nuggets, Vols. 1 & 2."
- Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go - Hank Ballard And The Midnighters - 1960
- (I Wanna) Testify - The Parliaments - 1967
- Psychedelic Used Car Lot Blues - The Southbound Freeway - 1967
- Journey To The Center Of The Mind - The Amboy Dukes - 1968
- Love's Gone Bad - The Underdogs - 1967
- Gino Is A Coward - Gino Washington - 1964
- I Need You - The Rationals - 1968
- Village Of Love - Nathaniel Mayer And The Fabulous Twilights - 1962
- Mind Over Matter (I'm Gonna Make You Mine) - Nolan Strong - 1962
- Insane - Jack Scott - ca. late 1950s
- Lonely Teardrops - Jackie Wilson - 1959
- Shabby Little Hut - The Reflections - 1965
- I Love You - The Volumes - 1962
- (Just Like) Romeo And Juliet - The Reflections - 1964
Disclosure: This page includes links that will take you to various online merchants outside of allbutforgottenoldies.net that sell recordings with some of the songs featured on this page. Please note that these are referral or affiliate links from which allbutforgottenoldies.net may receive, at no additional cost to you, a commission if you should make any purchases through them.
Notes:
- Hank Ballard's "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go" (King 5400), which topped the R&B charts in 1960 and also made the Top 10 on the Pop/Rock charts that same year, later became an R&B chart hit for the Chambers Brothers in 1974. Formed in 1952, Hank Balland and the Midnighters had a long history with many group name and personnel changes over the years. Detroit-born Hank Ballard was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
- "(I Wanna) Testify" (Revilot 207) by the Parliaments, which was their chart debut song in 1967, later also charted for Johnnie Taylor in 1969. The Parliments were the first incarnation of a very large and highly influential funk musicians consortium led by George Clinton. In 1968, the Funkadelic was formed from rhythm section members of the Parliaments whose remaining members were renamed Parliament. "(I Wanna) Testify" recharted for Parliament in 1974 on the R&B charts. Parliament/Funkadelic hit their stride in the late 1970s with "Tear The Roof Off The Sucker (Give Up The Funk)" (1976), "Flash Light" (1978), and "One Nation Under A Grove" (1978). Parliament/Funkadelic was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 1997.
- "Psychedelic Used Car Lot Blues" by the Detroit-based Southbound Freeway was released as a single in 1967 on several different labels (Tera Shirma 67001;Red Rooster 67001; Roulette 4739; Roulette 55936, b/w "Southbound Freeway"). Although "Psychedelic Used Car Blues" was played on Detroit's CKLW and other local stations, this and other songs by the Southbound Freeway never charted nationally. They released several other songs in the late 1960s including "Don't Go Cryin'" and "Roll With It." Key members of the Southbound Freeway included Marc Chover who was the group founder and lead singer. "Psychedelic Used Car Blues" by the Southbound Freeway is included on the hard to find CD, "Michigan Nuggets."
- The Amboy Dukes' "Journey To The Center Of The Mind" (Mainstream 684) was the only Billboard Hot 100 hit for this acid rock band. The Amboy Dukes were led by Detroit-born hard rock guitarist Ted Nugent who is best known for his string of hits from the late 1970s that included "Cat Scratch Fever" (1977). Nugent later became a member of the Damn Yankees and is a well known NRA supporter. Over the years, Nugent has released many solo albums and has also been involved in numerous other projects including hosting his own morning radio show in Detroit.
- "Love's Gone Bad" (V.I.P. 25040) by the Underdogs, which peaked at only #122 in 1967, was the only charted song for this late 1960s Grosse Pointe, MI-based garage band. This song was previously an R&B chart hit for Chris Clark in 1966. Prior to "Love's Gone Bad," the Underdogs released several songs that were locally famous including "Man in the Glass" and "Little Girl." The Underdog's "Love's Gone Bad" is included on the CD Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968 [BOX SET].
- Gino Washington's "Gino Is A Coward" (Ric-Tic 100) was a minor hit in 1964 (peaking at only #121) and was one of only two nationally charted songs for this Detroit-based R&B singer whose music career was interrupted in 1964 by being drafted into the Army. He started recording again in 1967 and in the 1970s he hosted a local Detroit TV variety show. The foot stompin' "Gino Is A Coward" is included on the Gino Washington CD, Out of This World. This song is ranked at #938 by Dave Marsh in his book, The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made.
- The Ann Arbor-based Rationals (led by Scott Morgan) started out as a garage band and then later turned to R&B and soul music. In 1966, they had only one charted song, "Respect," which later topped the charts for Aretha Franklin. Although "Respect" was their only song to chart nationally, the Rationals also had a number of other songs that were major regional hits, including "Gave My Love," "Hold On Baby," and two completely different songs with the same title, i.e., "I Need You." The one as featured on today's show is a soulful song by Gerry Goffin and Carole King which was previously a hit for Chuck Jackson (1965). The Rationals' version was released as a single ca. 1967-1968 (Capitol 2124 b/w "Out In The Streets"). The other song entitled "I Need You" by the Rationals is a cover of a Kinks' noncharting song.
- Detroit-born R&B singer Nathaniel Mayer is best remembered for "Village Of Love" (Fortune 449) which was his only nationally charted song (#22/1962). Over the years, Mayer has also recorded other songs that were locally famous and he is still performing and recording today. In 2004, Mayer signed a recording deal with Fat Possum Records and recently released a new CD, I Just Want to Be Held.
- Nolan Strong's "Mind Over Matter (I'm Gonna Make You Mine)" (Fortune 546) was a minor hit in 1962, peaking at only #112. Nolan Strong and the Diablos were an R&B group formed in Detroit in 1950 whose key members included brothers Nolan and Jimmy Strong. The Diablos are best remembered for "The Wind" (1954), a noncharting doo wop-R&B classic. Nolan and Jimmy (both deceased) were cousins of Barrett Strong. "Mind Over Matter" by Nolan Strong and the Diablos is included on the hard to find CDs, "Doo Wop Dreams" and "Nolan Strong & The Diablos Vol, 1 / Detroit Doo Wops."
- Country-rockabilly singer Jack Scott was born in Canada and moved to Hazel Park, MI, in 1946. He had a string of hits on the Pop/Rock charts from 1958-1961 (all these songs were on the Carlton, Top Rank, and Capitol labels) and later had one song that made the Country charts in 1974 ("You're Just Getting Better"). Jack Scott's noncharting and disturbed "Insane" was included on the album "Jack Is Back" (Jade J-33-113) which was recorded ca. late 1950s.
- "Lonely Teardrops" (Brunswick 55105) by Jackie Wilson, which topped the R&B charts in late 1958 and made the Pop/Rock Top 10 in 1959, later also charted for Brian Hyland (1971) and Narvel Felts (1976). Detroit-born Jackie Wilson had a long solo musical career with many hits on both the R&B and Pop/Rock charts from the late 1950s through early 1970s that also included "You Better Know It" (1959), "Doggin' Around" (1960), and "Baby Workout" (1963). In the mid 1950s, Jackie Wilson had served for several years as the lead singer of Bill Ward and His Dominoes. In 1987, he was induced into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
- "Shabby Little Hut" (Golden World 19) was a minor hit for the Reflections in 1965, peaking at only #121. The Reflections are best remembered for "(Just Like) Romeo and Juliet" which was also featured on today's show.
- "I Love You" (Chex 1002) was the Volumes only song to make the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #22 in 1962. The Volumes were a Detroit-based doo wop group who also had two other charted songs, "Come Back Into My Heart" (#118/1962) and "Gotta Give Her Love" (#117/1964).
- The Reflections' "(Just Like) Romeo And Juliet" (Golden World 9) was the chart debut song for this Detroit-based group. "(Just Like) Romeo And Juliet" later also charted for Sha Na Na in 1975 and was also a minor hit for both Michael and the Messengers (#129/1967) and Fallen Angels (#106/1975).
Click here for a complete list of "Insane World Of Mike Sain" playlists available on this web site.
